Addiction is often a taboo subject that most people avoid. They might not have a personal tie to it and may not fully understand how it affects people. Talking about addiction can be uncomfortable on both ends, and people might not know how to navigate a conversation with such a heavy subject. For some people, talking about addiction can be triggering and can lead them down a bad path, so it’s important to bring up the topic in a calm and compassionate way. There is no manual for having these conversations, but sometimes it is the best way to highlight the suffering that addiction causes.
Because people think of addiction as a taboo subject, it often gets put under the rug. Addiction is like a secret that everyone knows about, but no one can find the key to unlock it . For those who are experiencing substance abuse in one way or another, it can feel embarrassing to talk about. However, not talking about addiction prevents people from getting the care and help they need to come out on the other side. Having a tough conversation about addiction with family or friends could be the first step to recovery and bringing awareness to the disease.
One of the main reasons addiction should be talked about more is because of how common it is. Even if someone has never seen it or experienced it before, it does not mean it doesn’t exist. 1 in 7 people are struggling with substance abuse in the United States. Not only does it affect someone’s physical health, it disrupts their mental abilities as well. Addiction in whatever form it takes, can create a new person inside the same body. The disease can ruin lives and relationships, and instead of stigmatizing addiction people should prioritize education surrounding it.
Talking about addiction creates an open line of communication that will hopefully kickstart positive change. If people continue to purposefully not speak on this subject, then people suffering from addiction are being left behind. A lot of times they need a support system to help them reach recovery, and talking about the disease can set them in the right direction.
Jim Hight discusses these topics in his novel, “Moon Over Humboldt.” He shows that addiction can happen to anyone and it’s important to talk about it, instead of hiding behind the obvious. The best way to get help is to address what’s truly going on.
“For the addiction and recovery aspects of Moon Over Humboldt, I drew on my own experiences as a recovering addict and a member of a family affected by alcoholism…As I prepare to launch “Moon Over Humboldt,” I celebrate 24 years of sobriety from cannabis, alcohol, and other mind-altering substances. Like my characters, I needed the 12-step programs to recover—and like them, I had to search out my own non-religious version of a higher power to make the spiritual prescription of the 12 steps work for me,” says Jim Hight.
Addiction does not just hurt the person suffering from it, it also hurts the family and friends who see how addiction is manifesting in their loved one. Having conversations about addiction can help people get a little bit of closure and feel like they are trying to help in whatever way possible. Addiction often disrupts relationships, and talking about the issues helps people stay at least a little connected. Everyone deserves a support system, no matter what side of addiction they are on. Communicating is one of the only ways to create change.
“Recognizing just how different addicts are—and how differently a son or daughter behaves once addiction has taken hold—is vitally important for the parents of addicts. As David Sheff wrote so heartbreakingly in Beautiful Boy, when addiction took over his son’s life, the boy he once knew and trusted was replaced by someone who would lie, cheat, steal, and endanger his family to get drugs,” Hight says.
Hiding behind fears and the unknown does not make addiction unreal. Ignoring addiction does not make it go away, in fact it will only make it stronger. Talking about addiction and supporting those who are suffering is the only way for recovery to happen. Educating people on addiction can help people be on the same page, and can give them the tools they need to start these difficult conversations. Addiction is like a bacteria that continues to grow the longer it goes unaddressed.
