Addiction

I'm reading a book called "Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction" by David Sheff. I'm nearing the end, and I have to say, it's really got me thinking and wondering about a lot of things, including the nature of addiction and the make-up of an addict.

In the book, Sheff is writing about his son's drug addiction, looking for answers to the question why. Why is his son addicted to drugs? When did the addiction begin? What did he as a parent do wrong? How can he help his son get better? To find answers, Sheff has done all kinds of research on the subject, and the facts are startling, because frankly, there aren't a lot of facts. It is becoming apparent through studies that drug addiction is an inherited disease, and though it is true that drug addicts make conscience choices to do drugs, they cannot be held completely responsible for their actions. For someone who is "programed" for addiction, not doing drugs can be almost impossible through shear will-power alone. Like metal to a magnet, addicts are incapable of staying away from the drug they seek. One doctor in this field of study compared a drug addict staying away from drugs to a person stepping in front of an oncoming train; pretty much impossible for someone in their right mind.

Again, it is not really known how these addictive traits are passed down, seemingly at random. Drug addicts come from all over the race/background/socioeconomic spectrum. Those of us without addiction are in no position to judge those who have the disease, because we have not all started out on an equal playing field, no matter how similar our backgrounds are to theirs.

Commonly, I look at situations involving drug and alcohol addicts and think, what a shame; thank God that's not me or anyone in my family. But now my outlook is beginning to change. Addiction is not specific to drugs. Addiction is everywhere.

Eating disorders, depression, close mindedness, violence, fear of failure, impulse shopping, need for love, need for answers. All of these things along with a thousand others can be destructive addictive tendency's. As human beings, we naturally tend toward lifestyles of routine. Fear of the unknown dictates how many of us live our lives, because that's how we're wired. Addiction then is an extreme version of routine.

These are just some of my initial thoughts on addiction. I'm not a doctor or psychologist, just a muller-over of information brought to my attention. However, my reading and thinking has led me to a few conclusions for change in my own life. Just as humans are wired for routine, we are also prone to judging the people around us. Even though I try to keep an open mind, I am not above the practice of judgement. Often when someone I know is constantly depressed, I think, Geez, get over it! Nobodies life is perfect, therefore you have no rite to be any sadder than anyone else. However, this type of judgment is cruel. I believe depression can be a form of addiction, and some people struggle with it more than others simply because it is in their genetic make-up. The depressed person doesn't deserve judgement. What they require is extra understanding and attention.

The same goes for people with anorexia or obesity. Addictions concerning food are both genetic and environmental, and people who struggle with them need attention and encouragement, not judgement.

Violence is one of the more difficult addictions for me to wrap my mind around. Some people are naturally prone to acting out violently, and from accounts I've heard/read, rage often takes over these people and they temporarily disconnect mentally from what they are physically doing. These people cannot be held completely responsible since violence is an addiction they do not choose to have, and yet, their actions hurt others. Yes, these people are dangerous and should not be aloud to continue living in regular society, but to what extent should they be punished? Should their life end or be contained in an unseen place for committing an act that they may not have been able to control?

One more thought before I stop. My dad/Pastor has been making a lot of interesting points in our Bible study concerning free will and predestination, and so I've been thinking a lot about the ideas he's presented. I believe the Bible teaches that God will ultimately save all people. All will be reconciled to God at the end of ages, though many will not accept Christ in this lifetime. My thoughts on addiction seem to tend toward the argument that our decisions in this lifetime do not dictate where we will spend eternity. The fact is, we are not all equal when it comes to our ability to make good/bad decisions. Some of us are more prone to get involved with destructive things than others, not because I am better than you, but because I am genetically different than you. If God truly is a God of love and fairness, how could he judge all people the same, not taking into consideration our different backgrounds and make-ups? The outcome for the individual is too important to exist outside a perfect system of Divine Judgement.