What Is an Addict?

The answer to the question “What is an addict?” is one that can excite violent emotions, depending on the experiences of the person you ask. It’s also an answer that can be dramatically colored by the portrayal of addicted people in the news, in movies and on television. The truth of the matter might be kinder and more subtle than most people think.

man sitting on bench with a bottle of alcohol
  • Ask a spouse or parent who has struggled for years to help a drug user and you might hear that an addict is someone who betrays you and takes whatever they can get, who bankrupts you and breaks your heart.
  • Ask a law enforcement officer who tried to help at first but then gave up because of the overwhelming extent of the problem and he might talk about the hopelessness of even making an effort.
  • Ask a doctor who has seen too many patients scream at him and his staff if he fails to give them the pills they want and he may rant about how horrible and dangerous “these people” are.
  • Ask an emergency room nurse and she might wave her hand in despair of ever being able to do more than keep a person alive so he can use drugs again the next night.
  • Ask someone who tried to help an addicted person again and again but then gave up in disgust when the person always returned to the bottle or the needle, despite that offer of help. Perhaps he can’t be blamed for concluding that an addict is someone who can’t be helped, who is hell-bent on destroying himself, who is degraded all the way down to his soul.
Tragically, some people feel that addicts are worthless and not worth helping. There are even worse opinions that don’t need to be voiced here.

The Truth About Addicts

Some people would be shocked to discover that most addicts are very, very much like them. Many of them have warm hearts and love to make people laugh. They have goals and hopes – maybe they want to get married or help their nephews play good baseball. Maybe they love going to church with their families or coaching a youth sports team. Maybe they want to be a good cook like their mom, or dream of being a successful musician, writer or dancer. They have hopes and dreams like anyone else. But right now, those dreams are buried under an overwhelming physical and mental compulsion to continue to use drugs or drink.

They may have started their path to addiction with a recreational use of pot or pills, or maybe it was an injury that launched a craving for more of the pills they were given. Believe this about every addicted person: No one sets out to become an addict and no one wants to be one.

An addicted person’s desire to save himself (or herself) is likely to be similarly buried – hidden under his intense shame and guilt. He may also have lost all hope that life can ever be enjoyable again, and he may fear that every attempt to get sober will be an excruciating failure. Very often, an addicted person leaves his spouse, children and other family to spare them from further harm. The family feels betrayed when, in fact, it was the only way he could protect them.

Bringing Back the Person You Love

happy couple

The good news is that when you free a person from the awful and constant compulsion to drink or use drugs, the good person he is at heart can return. At Narconon centers around the world, we have watched this miracle repeated on tens of thousands of our graduates over the last fifty years. The person who walks in the front door thoroughly broken can walk out with the skills to build a new, sober, stable and productive life for himself.

It takes a new honesty with oneself and one’s fellows and an understanding of how to overcome problems in life rather than hiding out in more drug use. It takes clear thinking and an ability to deal with difficulties on an objective basis. Learn how Narconon Ojai helps every graduate achieve these improvements and thereby frees them from the bondage of addiction. Call us today at 1-877-936-7435 to learn more.

AUTHOR

Sue Birkenshaw

Sue has worked in the addiction field with the Narconon network for three decades. She has developed and administered drug prevention programs worldwide and worked with numerous drug rehabilitation centers over the years. Sue is also a fine artist and painter, who enjoys traveling the world which continues to provide unlimited inspiration for her work. You can follow Sue on Twitter, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

NARCONON OJAI

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION