Some Things Never Change

One of the most obvious things that has remained the same about addiction is that it still destroys many people's lives just as it always did. The person who can’t control their anger may not see this problem as being so serious and yet, over the years as many people lash out at the various friends and family members they so dearly love, they may not notice their lives taking certain turns that they hadn’t really noticed. Once a person starts to do something harmful to themselves, they often find it very hard to stop and this can eventually color their entire life in a negative manner.

From as far back as the prehistoric ages, there has been evidence of alcohol and drug abuse in society and personal problems have been the rule. In 2000 B.C., an Egyptian priest was noted for having tried to stop his pupil from consuming too much alcohol. "I, thy superior, forbid thee to go to the taverns. Thou art degraded like beasts!" Addiction has been around for centuries and it still destroys lives in the same way that it always has.

If we think about the common trend of our addictive tendencies, we know that it is usually the case that a person starts out with a little of something and then they eventually increase. Then they take it too far and then they can't stop. The significant change today, however, is that today there is more of an opportunity to get help. There is more of an understanding of all the different behaviors that make up an addiction and how a person can specifically go about changing their problem for the better.


In the '70s, everybody thought drugs were just good
times. People didn't really know about drug addiction,
or that such a thing existed. When I grew up in the
'70s I thought you had to take drugs. It was almost
like I didn't think you had a choice. -Aimee Mann


Society has always been full of people who can't make up their mind about whether or not they should quit a bad habit. Between 1,100 B.C. and 1,400 A.D., there were 41 recorded periods in history where laws against “making wine" were initially enacted and then eventually repealed. Determining whether someone is “addicted” has always been a heated point of debate. Still, the prevailing wisdom has always told us that, more times than not, we are hopelessly hooked whether we like it or not. So if we accept this premise, that society is likely addicted to hundreds, if not thousands of items, from cigarettes to television, what is the next step? If many behaviors and products are specifically produced in such a way as to encourage getting “hooked” and keeping mass consumption alive, where do we go from here?


The model of ownership, in a society organized round
mass consumption, is addiction. -Christopher Lasch


Admitting there is a problem is the first step and yet, this may not be such a giant leap if we look upon the history of society. The inability to stop our bad habits has been well known even as far back as 650 B.C. when famous Chinese commentator once wrote that people simply "will not do without beer". He knew about the power of alcohol even before bottles and cans had been invented and he continued to say that "To prohibit it and secure total abstinence from it is beyond the power even of sages." With this as an underlying principle, it certainly seems to be foolish to try and convince society or other people that "They are an addict" or
that "They should quit". In fact, even in the most extreme cases when the person "knows" they have a problem, there doesn't seem to be much you can do or say.


It's an addiction... and addiction is something I should know
something about. -Keith Richards


Regardless of the stubbornness of our disease, it is still the case that many people have recovered from addiction. For those who want to understand this problem better and have a desire to quit, there are many valuable things that can now be said about the multiple addictions that permeate our society. Once we gain a foothold on the most prevalent addiction in our lives, we may soon discover that another one is right around the corner. This may not be a completely discouraging discovery but it may be something that causes us to consider that the problem may be deeper and more complicated than we first imagined. Addiction may be a lot more pervasive to our ego than we first recognized and recovery may involve a more serious approach than we first expected.


Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't
mean the circus has left town. -George Carlin


If we wish apply what we know about multiple addictions, there may still be some hope available to us. This can eventually lead us to make a more positive and lasting change. Still, in order to understand exactly where we can go from here, it will first serve us best to consider where we have come from in terms of our developing understanding of multiple addictions. From there we will be capable of approaching this very profound disease with a bit more wisdom and seriousness than we may have first deemed necessary.