Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment
20/20 Parenting. Recognizing and mitigating early vulnerabilities and risk factors.
Kerry’s Journal
Reflections, Experiences, Shared Vision
February 6, 2007
Cough, cough… well I finally caught this bad cold/flu that my whole family caught at Christmas time. Thankfully it didn’t hit me hard until the day after two out-of-town workshop presentations last Thursday and Friday… and we were a great success…lots of hugs (they didn’t let my sickness stop them), words of appreciation, and encouragement. Such warm folks.
Just before I left town a new buzz had hit the newspapers I wanted to address:
Some hopeful scientific news about how a very small area of the brain called the “insula” is generating new hope for the treatment of nicotine addiction. This has given rise to the hypothesis that insula-targeted pharmaceutical treatments might be found for many types of addiction including “process” addictions (activities such as sex, internet, shopping, love etc.). While I am excited about the possibilities I can’t help but wonder if the treatment will also stop the uncomfortable feelings that are often the underlying ‘cause’ of the addictive behavior in the first place.
As a former smoker I speak from experience… nicotine was (until 1990) my anesthetic for emotional pain (largely unconscious as this was). If today I were still covering up my pain with cigarettes and a new treatment suddenly took away my addiction, would I still need to smoke to feel better emotionally? Can a new drug take away unresolved and painful memories… establish healthier coping methods? Would I be inclined to do as white-knuckling addicts often do – switch addictions? (Sobriety reached via white knuckling means through shear will power and constant vigilance versus through resolving the underlying reasons for the addiction, the latter usually requiring counseling.)
Why is it that we homo sapiens, as smart as we think we are, are still so driven to developing after-the-fact Band-Aids to our problems, to the near exclusion of developing early prevention strategies? When will we get it that there are no magic bullets (pills) that will solve our problems without in themselves creating more (ie: side effects…)?
Still, my hope is that we will someday find a cure for addiction – a cure that is both free of long-term side effects AND will contribute to personal growth by freeing the addict to see him/herself and the world more clearly, rationally, and compassionately.
Personally, however, I still believe that earlier prevention is the best and least costly practice by a long shot, especially when you consider ALL the costs. Let me know what you think.
Kerry
