Drug addiction stories are never pleasant. They tell of times spent in compromising situations, death, crimes and misery. People in the grip of this terrible illness lead very dangerous lives and face uncertainty at every step.
There are many drug addiction stories reported in the media. They are usually the very worst of the stories available to choose from. Sometimes addicts will publish their own stories. The temptation to embellish upon the truth to add shock value in order to sell more books can result in these stories wandering a little short of truthfulness.
We can see that stories about drug addiction have commercial value as they titillate the public interest. But they also have real value in helping addicts. Ever since the publication of the first edition of the Narcotics Anonymous “Basic Text” (a book about recovery) the stories of drug addicts in recovery have been included. This was done in the tradition of the Alcoholics Anonymous group which also includes stories in their “Big Book”.
How do drug addiction stories help addicts?
The principle of “one addict helping another” is an important spiritual concept. Drug addicts who are in recovery will share their experience in addiction, what happened to make them get clean and how their life is now. By hearing that another addict was in a similar condition and is now living happily addicts who are still in the grip of active addiction gain hope. Hope is a precious commodity to addicts. Of course by listening to how the other addict got clean they will also learn about techniques and attitudes that lead to abstinence and subsequent recovery.
A great deal of focus in dealing with the problem of addiction has been on drug awareness campaigns. The general thought is that by educating children and teenagers about the dangers of drugs they are going to be less likely to experiment. Drug addiction stories can play a part in such awareness campaigns. Whether awareness campaigns are effective is beyond the scope of this article but certainly addiction is associated with a counter-culture so one might wonder whether the message of the mainstream culture is likely to have traction in the drug world?
How do drug addiction stories begin?
There is no specific cause to addiction so each story will be different. Genetic influences, stress, peer pressure, properties of the drug and environmental factors have all been linked to the development of addiction. Possibly the best way to tell who might become an addict is to look for people who are abusing drugs.
Having said that, one common theme that seems to run through many drug addiction stories is the sensation of feeling “different”. Many addicts say that they feel like they don’t belong and that drugs help them to overcome this sensation. They might feel some sort of social acceptance because the drugs remove their inhibitions and make them feel confident. Of course these “benefits” disappear as the drug abuse worsens.
The middle part of drug addiction stories is always negative. This is where all the damages and consequences of addiction pile up. You’ll hear about car crashes, divorces, job loss, health problems, suicide attempts, infidelity, theft and countless other negative experiences. These are the stories that people listening to drug awareness campaigns say “that will never happen to me, I’m too clever, special – my case is different”.
The ending of drug addiction stories is usually one of four things: jails, institutions, death or recovery. You’ll either lose your freedom, sanity or life unless you find recovery.
If you want to live free of drug addiction then please don’t delay in calling one of our admission coordinators. They will provide you with prompt and professional advice to find drug addiction rehab & treatment that will help you to regain your life.