Cool To Be Addicted
I have a real problem with the whole idea of treating celebrities that have “overcome their addictions” or “fought their demons” as though they’re something special. Why does society view these people as heroes? Why does no one ever come out with what we’re all thinking?
That they are weak and flawed people in the first place if they allowed themselves to become addicted.
This simpering attitude that the media takes makes it even easier for the scores of celebrities that adourn the covers of the shitty magazines that fill the shelves of every supermarket and newsagent in the country to keep themselves in the public eye and keep themselves in cash by constantly selling their tear-jerking stories of just how awful their millionnaire’s lives are. A visit to The Priory is a badge a honour to these people.
These are the people that our nation’s children see as role models.
The message being given, over and over again, is that the best way to gain popularity and respect is to “Take as many drugs as you can, kids!”
At some point in their life, just about everyone is presented with the opportunity to take drugs. Some refuse them, some use them casually and some form a habit. I’m not here to preach that all drug use is wrong. But I do feel the need to ask whether it makes any sense that those that DID take them and then allowed them to practically destroy their lives before giving them up, are somehow viewed as better than those that did not.
I’ve spoken about this to people before and I always seem to get the same response … that these people are under great stress and pressure and that they eventually just break and turn to substance abuse to make all of their worries disappear for a few hours at a time.
Well, there’s 2 major flaws in that argument.
First, EVERYONE has stress and pressure in their life. I’ve known people with next to no responsibilities that, in response to the smallest amount of stress have just melted down! On the other hand, I have friends that are under massive pressure in high-paid corporate positions that cope just fine.
Second, the argument falls for the fairly blatant lie that people only use drugs to free themselves of some inner turmoil that is being thrust upon them. That’s nonsense. What you NEVER hear from these people is the simple truth that they use drugs because they want to get high. Regardless of how much stress they’re under, people take drugs because (a) They’re available and (b) They make you feel good.
And, to compound the problem, they are constantly being told that it’s not their fault! That they have a genetic predisposition toward addiction. Their upbringing has left them more vulnerable to drug addiction …
Don’t try that put-upon bullshit with me.
What possible good can it do for these people to tell them that they’re not in control of their own actions? You don’t hear this twisted pseudo-psychology applied to murderers …
“Don’t feel bad. You have a genetic predisposition toward strangling cheerleaders!”
No! People should be held accountable for their behaviour.
You and you alone are responsible for your actions.
Society always takes the view that the drug itself is some evil entity that has attacked the poor, innocent addict. The drug is an inanimate object! The person wasn’t snared by some malevolent cloud of powder and forced to inhale! They made the conscious decision to take the drug!
If a person chooses to regularly break any other law, they aren’t praised for eventually stopping! OK, they are generally told that stopping the law-breaking is an improvement, but they’re not elevated to some special position where they’re viewed as better than those that didn’t break that law in the first place.
Those that allow themselves to become addicted to these substances do deserve our sympathy and our help. But I refuse to treat them as heroes for breaking a habit they inflicted upon themselves.
MisterShouty 