When just saying NO does not work...
Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
by Yulia Berry
Great Home Remedies
Drug and alcohol addiction is a serious matter that can lead a person down a slippery slope, paving the way to the loss of everything that is important including their job, their home, their loved ones and even their life. Drug addiction is not the simple, straightforward problem that is depicted in the "Just say NO" and " War of Drugs" campaigns. It is a complex multifaceted condition that has many contributing factors that these failed campaigns never addressed with their simple slogans and military tactics. In order to successfully treat addiction it is important to treat the roots causes of the disorder, not merely battle the symptoms.
Prescripton drugs and alcohol are perhaps two of the most serious addiction problems that plague this nation of ours. In today's world we have a pill for everything that ails us and we are encouraged by the pharmaceutical conglomerates to take them without even thinking about the consequences or side effects that are listed off in ultra rapid succession at the very end of the ad.. Seeking to curb even the slightly troublesome children, our educators are eager to suggest to parents that their kid may have ADHD and to force Ritalin upon them turning a rambunctious class into a room full of dazed zombies. Future historians might even look upon this generation as the "Age of Pill Popping". It is not really hard to fathom why we have such a problem with pill abuse in this country. Prescription drugs are now a widely accepted form of treatment and people seldom question the the motives of the medical establishment when the suggest it as a form of treatment. Kids and teens also now that the next good "buzz" that they are looking for just might be in their grandmother's medicine cabinet.
Alcoholism is another disorder that is accepted as state of normalcy in this country. People do not frown upon "Joe six pack" who goes to the local bar for a few rounds during happy hour after a hard days work. Societal binge drinking during sporting events or parties is also looked upon as a harmless fun as long as the person does not drive. While downing a six or twelve pack of beer every night might seem harmless, doing so night after night, month after month, and year after year can and will lead to a severe alcohol addiction problem.
Ironically, perhaps the best slogan to use for the fight against drug and alcohol addiction, is the one that Smokey the Bear uses to prevent forest fires. As simplistic as it sounds, "Only you can prevent alcohol and drug addiction", is probably the best statement anyone can make about the subject. Drug and Alcohol addiction are probably the only diseases that people actually choose to get. Each addict started off as a person with free will who made the choice to start drinking and doing drugs and eac addict need to realize that they have the same freedom to stop abusing inside of them. While you can blame society, genetics, the pharmaceutical and beverage establishments, for helping lead you onto the path of self-destruction, it is ultimately you who made the choice to start. It is up to you to choose to stop.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Hi Yulia,Fascinating article. I'm with you most of the way, especially your opening statements. I'm not convinced people choose to become addicted, although they choose the drug which they are ultimately addicted to.Nancy's "Just say NO" was simple minded, even for the time, but then again the whole Reagan presidency was out of touch with the common citizen, and Reagan's covert terrorism in Nicaragua was actually funded by cocaine trafficking in U.S. cities like Los Angeles and Miami, so go figure .Thanks,- G
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