The Face of Addiction

We no longer live in times where addiction is found only in the very far ends of severe poverty. It is no longer a thing we only read of or see over the news, nor is it something that will never happen to “me”.

The sad truth is addiction can and has happened to you and me. It is in our schools, churches, families, workplaces and even on our streets right in front of our homes exposing our innocent children. Addiction has come like a thief in the night to steal our parents, our children, our faith and our very potential to make a success of our lives during these trying times.

The worst part of all of this is that the stigma still stays the same and cripples us. One needs to first acknowledge and admit that there is indeed a problem and secondly how and where to treat the problem. Our community almost chooses to stay uneducated because of the stigma and this escalates the problem. Peers of a loved one battling with addiction do not, not only know how to help! but are enabling the problem from a place of guilt, shame and being uneducated or the unwillingness to take guidance in finding the solution.

Drugs and alcohol have been made out to be a ‘glorified’ exciting way of life where the youth are encouraged to be opened minded to try anything and everything, without being informed of the consequences not only physical but mental as well such as; drug-induced psychosis, Korsakoff syndrome, physical dependency; cramping, body aches, sleepless nights, restlessness. Thus taking away the fear of the consequences like spending the weekend in jail, losing your job, family and potentially even your life.

Addiction is no longer something that happens in secret. Addiction does not choose your social standing, race, creed, or sexual identity it is found amongst the richest of the rich, the middle class and the poor.

Our colleagues no longer come to work with just a hangover they are showing up still intoxicated on substances that cannot be easily detected on their breath or even their obvious behaviour, but rather if you pay attention to the small nuances they display.

We can no longer ignore the drastic escalation of a pandemic that is on the rise, and we need to step out of our closed-mindedness in thinking that we are untouchable by substance dependency.

ADDICTION DOES NOT CHOOSE OR DISCRIMINATE. ADDICTION DOES NOT JUST HAPPEN TO GOOD OR BAD PEOPLE – IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.

And yes! it can happen to you and anyone you love.

For years we have denied the existence, blame shifted and ignored the problem of addiction rather than investing in getting educated on the disease of addiction. It is about time that we realise alcohol is also a drug, and in some cases, the consequence is far more deadly. It is highly unlikely that we will ever be able to remove all forms of substance abuse from our society. This might be a difficult pill to swallow but the sooner we do the sooner we can help those who are suffering in silence and get them the treatment they need.

No longer do we need to be ashamed of addiction as we have seen top achieving children suffering from this, big successful businessmen losing everything they have, loving families losing a loved one taken to death or even the cashier at the local convenience store to addiction. Our role models, sports stars and even movie stars all around the world are people impacted by the disease of addiction in one form or another such as overeating, gambling, eating disorders and the list is endless.

The good news in all of this is that fortunately treatment for the disease of addiction has changed and all for the better. No more do we have to send our loved ones to far away places in the bush where they will be punished for suffering from a disease, and no more do we have to sweep it under the carpet hoping that it will go away by itself.

The industry has evolved and people with a passion for the disease of addiction have invested vast amounts of experience and knowledge from not only those who have recovered but also the professionals who have studied in the field therefore helping those who are afflicted, find a new way of life. Families have started speaking openly about the disease of addiction. The medical industry has come a long way in joining the fight and addiction now form part of the International Classification of Diseases, therefore, enabling us to treat the problem accordingly.

In the workplace, employers are starting to invest in the wellness of their employees and offer them much-needed support in getting help. The labour act now makes provision for employees suffering from the disease of addiction, allowing them to ‘come clean’ and not be victimised within the workplace. An employer should consider offering counselling, treatment or rehabilitation as an alternative before deciding to discipline the employee

The Way Recovery has played an integral part in leading this “new” evolution in the treatment of addiction since 2017 with significant results. The Way Recovery gets involved in the community as well as in the corporate structure by creating awareness and finding different pathways to recovery.