Substance Abuse: A Painful Culture, Essay Example

Substance abuse is one of the most powerfully destructive obsessions that a person can have, and chemical or alcohol dependency has become one of the most severe health and social problems facing the United States today (U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n.d.). Substance abuse has the power to ruin the life of the abuser, as well as those around him or her, and has been classified a disease, and it extremely difficult to control. Sadly, substance abuse follows a predictable pattern. It usually begins with some experimentation, eventually leading to full blown addiction (Conyers, 2003).   For those who are predisposed, the experimentation stage can lead to loss of family, friends, work positions, homes, values, and sometimes life (Conyers, 2003).   But, it is more than that; substance abuse comes with its own culture that leaves the abuser estranged from the non-addicted world. This altered reality often allows the abuser to function in situations that many would find simply unbearable. Like other cultures, substance abuse permeates every aspect of a person’s life. This paper briefly examines genetics and addiction, substance abuse as a phenomenon or culture, some of the psychological consequences to that come from living with an active abuser, and as a potential solution, where help can be found.

The Genetic Component

The topic of addiction has been discussed in relationship to genetics. Valuable information about substance abuse can be understood in light of addiction as disease which can be passed down generationally (Dayton, 2000). Disturbingly, children of substance abusers are four times more likely to become substance abusers themselves (Dayton, 2000); notwithstanding all of the other types of addictions that exist (i.e. food, sex, gambling, etc.) that those with this predisposition can hold. Children of addicts are at risk for having both genetic and behavior components of the disease passed down to them (Sher, Wood, & Brent, 1991). In either manner, or both, psychological patterns also tend to be passed down/taught as well (Dayton, 2000). What this means then is that not only are the children of substance abusers at risk for becoming abusers themselves, but they are also at risk for choosing significant others and friends who are addicts as well (Dayton, 2000), continuing the cycle and culture of addiction.

Substance Abuse Culture

According to William White, in his book Pathways from the Culture of Addiction to the Culture of Recovery: A Travel Guide for Addiction Professionals, “The culture of addiction is a way of life, a means of organizing one’s daily existence , and a way of viewing people and events in the outside world” (1996). Two other authors, Quintin Williams and Robin Edison (2009) have gathered their own information about the culture of substance abuse, and in conjunction with White’s material (1996), have created the following list detailing many aspects of the culture of addiction.

Those Surrounding the Abuser                 

Clearly, substance abuse is a culture all of its own, and the psychological impact on the individual and the family is enormous. For those who have lived, or who are living with an addicted person, they know that living in this type of situation is very painful (Dayton, 2000). It is also frightening to live with an abuser. Often, abuser behavior is erratic and can be violent. While not everyone who abuses drugs will become violent, statistically speaking, those who do resort to violently abusive behavior at home are more likely to also abuse drugs and/or alcohol (Lee, 2012). Additionally, violent behavior is more pronounced and frequent when the individual is high or intoxicated (Lee, 2012). Living with an addicted person causes normal routines to be broken and traumatizes the family members, who fear at any moment that they will be lied to, stolen from, or have promises broken (Dayton, 2000).

When the culture of substance abuse is brought into the family, it can begin to set up a dynamic that is unhealthy for everyone involved. Often, the entire household becomes focused on the abuser’s behavior, and how to stop what is happening; alternately, complete denial can take place (Dayton, 2000). Whether or not the other family members are trying to fix the abuser, or to avoid what is happening in their lives, the results are the same: emotional eruptions, lack of intimacy, and trauma are the common result (Dayton, 2000). Even more worrisome, the final consequence of being jailed, institutionalized, or of dying all become possibilities for the substance abuser, adding to the severe trauma the family has already experienced (Dayton, 2000).

From the book Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery by Beverly Conyers (2003), the author recounts her experience with her daughter’s substance abuse:

A heroin addict at age twenty-three, my daughter and her boyfriend, a fellow addict, were evicted from their apartment for not paying their rent. In the four months they had lived there, their apartment had become almost uninhabitable. The filthy bathroom contained a phone book that they used for toilet paper. The living room was a chaotic jumble of dirty dishes and soiled clothing and bedding. The bedroom floor was covered with animal feces from their cats and ferret.(para. 2).

Conyers (2003) goes on to tell how their situation got even worse, and eventually they were homeless as well. Without question, this young couple was completely ensnared in the cycle of addiction, and they were unable to see that their behavior was hurtful to themselves and to others around them. When family members watch their loved ones go down this terrible path of addiction, they feel pain, anger, frustration, and remorse, and dysfunctional coping strategies become very common to the general be­havior of the family (Dayton, 2000).

There is Help

Without question, substance abuse is a deadly disease that has the potential to seriously damage the user, and everyone around him/her, but if a person is willing to get help, help is available. For the addict or alcoholic, there are numerous treatment facilities, different approaches to therapy, and fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous (Alcoholics Anonymous, 1976) or Narcotics Anonymous (Narcotics Anonymous, 2012) – twelve-step fellowships that have helped thousands of people to get (and remain) clean and sober (O’Farrell, and Fals-Stewart, 1999).  However, the substance abuser must be willing to want help, and most often family members cannot force this to happen, especially when asked to give up an entire culture/way of life. Nonetheless, family members can help themselves to deal with the culture of substance abuse surrounding them.

Other resources are available to help break the cycle of substance abuse.  Two of these are the twelve-step fellowships of Al-Anon and Nar-Anon (2012). These groups are available to those attempting to deal with another’s substance abuse. Both of these groups have the capacity to help the friends and families of substance abusers by allowing them to feel they are not alone. The need to be listened to, the power of listening to others’ experiences, and to find a safe place to be is essential to healing from the damaging physiological and emotional effects of substance abuse  (Nar-Anon, 2012). While it is possible that substance abusers can be positively affected by a family member or friend who begins some type of recovery program, this is often not the main point. The objective is learning how to deal with another’s alcohol/drug addiction. As a positive benefit however, when one person in the family starts to become healthier, it does have the capacity to begin changing some of the unhealthy behavior patterns that have existed in the family (Nar-Anon, 2012).

Conclusion

Substance abuse is a powerful disease that has a genetic component, brings with it its own culture, and can be very damaging to the abuser and those around him or her as well. Understanding substance abuse as a disease that is has developed its own culture has the potential to help others understand the type of force that motivates addicted behavior. For many, it is a way of life and in order for it to change, an incredible willingness on the part of the substance abuser must occur; something that can supersede a genetic predisposition and a way of life. Nevertheless, recognizing this problem as one that affects all areas of life, and knowing that there is help through many different avenues, for the substance abuser and his or her loved ones, the destructive cycle can be broken.

Reference

Alcoholics Anonymous (1976). Big book. (2 ed.). New York City: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

Conyers, B. (2003).  Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery. Hazelden: 1^st Edition.

Dayton, T. (2000). The Set Up: Living With Addiction. Adapted from The Process Study Guide, with permission of the author, for NACoA Congregational Leadership Training. Retrieved on December 3, 2012 from: http://www.nacoa.org/pdfs/the%20setup.pdf

Lee, J. (2012). Substance Abuse and Family Violence. Choose Help. Retrieved on December 3, 2012 from: http://www.choosehelp.com/profile/John

Narcotics Anonymous. (2012). NA World Services, Inc. Retrieved on December 3, 2012 from: http://www.na.org/

O’Farrell, T., and Fals-Stewart, W.  (1999). Treatment models and methods: Family models. In McCrady, B. and Epstein, E. Addictions: A comprehensive guidebook (pp.  287-305). New York: Oxford University Press.

Sher, K., Walitzer, S., Wood, P., and Brent, E. (1991). Characteristics of children of alcoholics: putative risk factors, substance use and abuse, and psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology; 100(4):427-48.

U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved on December 3, 2012 from: http://www.samhsa.gov/

White, W.L. (1996). Pathways from the Culture of Addiction to the Culture of Recovery: A Travel Guide for Addiction Professionals. Hazelden: 2^nd Edition

Williams, Q. and Edison, R. (2009). Culture of Addiction and the Culture of Recovery. Dawn Farm Education Series. Retrieved on December 3, 2012 from: http://www.slideshare.net/jschwartz/the-culture-of-addiction-and-the-culture-of-recovery#btnNext