Glamorizing a Disease

Addiction/alcoholism is a disease killing people every day, every hour and every second. We need to wake up! The stigma associated with the disease makes it difficult to treat. Education needs to be enhanced so we as a society can understand addiction/alcoholism to help fight against it. To truly articulate the seriousness, the following will explore the “Hollywood” lifestyle and how we misinterpret the disease.

Long ago, we knew even less about addiction/alcoholism. Drugs first came around as a way to reach another spiritual level. Quickly society realized the health risks associated from using. We learned how drug use was harmful yet never understood it as a disease. Soon grew a stigma making addicts/alcoholics appear to be low-lifes and criminals. However, Hollywood has always brushed off the famous who used and justified it as “the Hollywood Lifestyle”.

Death related to addiction/alcoholism has plagued Hollywood since it originated. Somehow, we still ignore what is causing the problem. We shed a tear and move on without learning from the ramifications. This disease contaminates many people, yet instead of learning from it, we turn are heads. We all know at least one person who is or has suffered from addiction/alcoholism. It comes with a lot of pain because it not only affects the body but mind. The infected do and say hurtful things as the disease takes over. The people in it’s path become broken.

It’s time we deal with reality and get honest. Ignoring the problem isn’t saving lives and doesn’t help us heal.

Below, is a list of famous people who died from addiction/alcoholism.

Marilyn Monroe	River Phoenix
Elvis Presley	John Belushi
Paula Yates	Hillel Slovak
Billie Holiday	Ken Caminiti
Jim Morrison	Anna Nicole Smith
Chris Farley	Janis Joplin
Jimi Hendrix	Judy Garland
John Bonham	Kurt Cobain
Michael Jackson	Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Heath Ledger	Brad Renfro
Bobby Sheehan	James Owen Sullivan, aka, The Rev

Currently, many people in Hollywood still suffer from this disease. Instead of finding the why, we utilize it for our own selfish needs. Comedians poke fun at the suffering, even though many of them are as well, and the media uses the drama as a way to bring in profit. The Jersey show allows alcoholics to become successful. Instead of describing the harmful affects, Hollywood makes addiction/alcoholism seem wonderful and glamorous. Those suffering are putting themselves in harms way. Addiction/alcoholism is an indirect method of suicide.

Lindsey Lohan is a prime example of an addict. She suffers from massive pain and punishes herself. The infected are not proud of themselves, in fact, quit the opposite. We can misconstrue her actions as self-centered, which is a main behavioral characteristic of the disease. In reality, she has no self-worth, hates herself and chases death. Deep down she wants to die because the disease hunts it’s victim’s. The disease wants the sufferer dead and will not rest until it has won. This is why we must unit and find understanding for those suffering.

Charlie Sheen is another victim. This man not only suffers from addiction but severe mental illness. Instead of trying to help him, we enable him. People idolize his bizarre behavior because they misinterpret it as courageous. He is an addict with a disorder. His children suffer from this the most and the media doesn’t help. Have we lost empathy for others? Have we become self-consumed, hungering for the drama addiction causes? This man is on deaths door step and we sit back to assist him along. He is reaching for a gun and we are openly handing it to him.

Amy Winehouse is an obvious victim. She suffers from the worst drug addiction, heroine. There is a small percentage of people who over-come this drug because of it’s strong chemical hold. We watch as Amy goes in and out of rehab. Video clips high-light her relapses only inhibiting the disease. Instead of portraying the struggle one goes through, the media glamourizes it. Heroine is no joke and causes more pain than any other drug. It not only affects the person but whoever surrounds them.

Recently, we lost a local celebrity, Ryan Dunn, because of the disease. My heart goes out to his family and friends. I personally urge people to stop making him out to be a criminal. He was a person who had a good heart, wanting to bring laughter to other people but suffered from a disease.  It’s a heart-breaking story and people who knew him are suffering. Stop the madness and finger-pointing at the expense of someone who has past on. Have respect for the deceased and those hurting! Instead, let’s try to help others who are still inflicted and on deaths path. Blame never gets us anywhere!

The wording of this blog may be extreme. The attempt is to show how severe the disease is. No one has motive to kill those infected but we do need to realize how our apathy for the disease hinders them. By ignoring the consequences and stigmatizing, we make recovery difficult for others. People who suffer and want help find themselves holding back because of fear of what others think. Also, when we act the way we do, we are becoming a product of the disease.

It’s understandable people who have known someone suffering might hold a lot of hurt and pain. As stated above, the people in it’s path also become apart of the disease. Those closest begin to lose faith and burn themselves out trying to save their loved ones. There is a way to get better for both the addict and the ones suffering from it’s ramifications. We need to understand why this disease exists.

We take away power from our captures when we educate ourselves.

Addiction/Addiction- The Truth

The most powerful tool we have: our minds. We see miracles occur from those who have the will to push themselves to a level we can only dream of. It proves that the power of the mind is beyond comprehension. To touch on this power, we need to carry hope, faith and love. It’s a cliché statement but it’s also the truth. Those who possess these qualities can find drive, conviction and passion. These are the elements which bring happiness.

What corrupts happiness is the inability to be truthful with oneself. When we rationalize bad behaviors we become filled with guilt and remorse. When life begins to pile on other negative emotions outside ourselves, we begin to drown in pain. If we don’t confront the truth we get lost in a black hole. Honesty is the only possible way we can snap out of our destructive coma.

The most difficult hurdle for people to overcome is being truthful about an addiction or alcoholism. Sometimes the truth is never confronted because people don’t understand what addiction and alcoholism really are. This is why I am advocating about this subject, educating is the only way to prompt change. Knowledge creates awareness which can lead to treatment. Addiction/alcoholism is a disease of the mind. If the mind doesn’t recognize the problem than no defense can be acquired to stop the invasion.

Addiction/alcoholism involves certain behavioral characteristics. The act of doing the drug or having a drink is just a symptom. Drinking to access is not the only reason you are an alcoholic.

The following are just some of the behavioral aspects. Please note, a person doesn’t need to have all of the symptoms just like any disease or virus.

- Never talks about their feelings and insists on handling everything alone- this leads to insecurity, fear and unhealthy thoughts (or “crazy” thoughts) that turn into an obsession and can only be alleviated by doing the habit.

- Can’t control the habit- lack of control leads to the person justifying their actions because they want to believe they are in control. This fallacy allows them to continue giving into the disease.

- Centers their goals around the habit- this may not be at first but WILL occur eventually.

- Glorifies the times they were out of control as a result of their addiction/alcoholism. This is a coping mechanism to alleviate the guilt by turning it into something everyone can laugh about. The other thing a person might do is ignore the outburst all together.

- Not being honest with others/oneself about the habit. This coincides with never talking about feelings. We need good friends and family to keep us in check. The goal of fooling them is to fool ourselves. We never have to confront our demons if others don’t point them out. Some addicts/alcoholics will go to great lengths to make the ones closest to them believe they have it under control, they gave it up or divert any conversation relating to the habit.

- Giving more to the habit than you can afford. Time, money, or energy that a person contributes is a great indicator. If a person has no money to pay their bills but finds money to buy a six-pack than the need to be numb is stronger than the need to be responsible.

- Avoiding reality and in turn responsibilities. It’s not ALL responsibilities just the ones that cause the most emotional turmoil. Some addicts/alcoholics can be successful in the work place because of indirect communication with people. The relationships built at work are based more on superficial qualities unlike personal ones. For every addict/alcoholic the home life will suffer.

These are just a few of the behavior tendencies. As I get more in-depth, I will explain more about each one. In a previous blog I explained there are different types of drinkers. Each one possess some of these tendencies but to a different level depending on their personality.

The honest truth about addiction/alcoholism is that if you think you have a problem than you most likely do. A person may try to change themselves but will always go back to the habit. The tricky part of the disease is: there are ups and downs. Most assume the person will always be outrageous. If you know someone who gets crazy when intoxicated you may assume they don’t have a problem because it’s not every time. The disease is always there, it just flairs up at certain times.

The disease can also transform. The addict/alcoholic may change tactics. Too many times I hear people say “they used to have a problem but went to rehab and learned to not over do it any more.” If they are still drugging or boozing than they are still struggling. All the person learns to do is change tactics. They may try drinking beer instead of their drink of choice. Or the habit has become dormant in which case the addict/alcoholic is now putting energy into hiding it.

The most obvious sign a person is infected with the disease is when they say “vodka made me crazy so I switched to beer instead” or “I drink water in between each drink so I don’t get carried away.” Please note: normal drinkers will never say this because they don’t have a problem. If you had control over your habit you wouldn’t need to lie, hide, justify, change habits to continue doing it.

An eating disorder or sex addiction is different because it’s not a chemical. A chemical addiction can never be done again because it’s not just habitual mentally but your body craves it. The substance is not necessary for us to live, it’s a toxin that creates a reaction because our body is trying to reject it and can’t process it. We can never have control over it because it’s not apart of us. An eating disorder is the result of control whereas a drug or alcohol addiction is the result of control and the craving for a buzz. This makes it impossible to control because it’s outside of ourselves. We will never control anything outside ourselves (the battle we face as a society).

Over time addiction/alcoholism will destroy a person mentally and physically. For some it takes longer. Functional alcoholics can hold a job and sustain a fair mentality but as age approaches, short term memory will begin to diminish at a faster rate. Addiction/alcoholism is a disease because it gets worse over time. The lives of an addict/alcoholic will conform to the control it has over them. At times, it may appear they can control it or stop for periods of time. The truth is until the sufferer identifies they are an addict or alcoholic and stops the habit completely, the disease is still killing them.

All the problems caused by life are never dealt with because of the disease. The disease diminishes a person’s faith, passion and enjoyment for life. Over time, they stop feeling and search for the joy they first had in the beginning. It will never again be obtained.

What is necessary to know is that a person can win the battle. They will NEVER be able to do the habit again but they will be able to find happiness, the goal in life. It’s treatable but only when the person suffering is ready to admit the truth and has the will to find happiness and stop punishing themselves. Addiction/alcoholism becomes a search for death. It begins out of insecurity and a want for fun without feeling anxious. It ends with destruction, solitude and emptiness.

When striving to recover, it’s important to understand that the drink is just part of what makes an addict/alcoholic. The road to recovery involves changing the unhealthy behavioral patterns once turned to. Sometimes those who stop their habit will live as “sober drunks or addicts”. Even though they stopped the habit they still suffer from the behaviors. To find happiness we must learn to confront ourselves. It sounds scary but it’s the most rewarding accomplishment ever.

What I want to do by advocating about this disease, is get across that it’s a disease and those who suffer CAN recover. We have a choice in life, we can chose to be happy. We can rise above our sicknesses and find a world where we don’t hurt from ourselves. In order to reach this mecca, we must find faith and hope. We must find courage to confront our fears which allows us to elude self torture.

Body Image/Social Media and Addiction

 

  A. Michael Blanche MSS LCSW

 

Wednesday, April 13th, I attended, “The Real Deal” discussion on body image/social media and addiction. The discussion was presented by Michael A. Blanche (man in large picture above). The event was sponsored by WCASD High School PTO’s. Presenters and facilitators were: Ginny Durkan (Chester County Health Dept), Scott David (U.S. Dept. of Justice-DEA), Youth Leadership Counsel- WC Communities that Care, and Chester County District Attorney’s Office.  Representations who attended the discussion were from: The Hood, United Way, YMP, The Path Forward, Chester County Hospital, Citizen’s Bank, Rep from Senator Andy Dinniman’s office and a few teens involved with the CTC program.

The discussion was an attempt to increase parental awareness on body image/social media and addiction.

One spectator asked, “How does ADHD effect addiction?”. The presenter explained how ADHD is a frontal lobe disease. The frontal lobe controls problem solving skills, emotions, memory, language, impulse control, social and sexual behavior. It’s considered the home of our personality. ADHD creates a mismanagement of focus, controlled by the frontal lobe. This draws someone, effected with ADHD,to substances or behaviors that hit the frontal lobe. Alcohol and drugs will stimulate the frontal lobe. This is the way an addict will self medicate.

Research shows that 7 out of 10 people suffering from an addiction also, suffer from a mental health issue. Many clinics do dual-diagnosis because of this statistic. Obsession is another characteristic of addictive behavior which leads to compulsive behavior. Again, this all comes back to the function of the frontal lobe which controls these tendencies. It was also stressed how imperative it is to stop addiction at early onset since the frontal lobe grows from age 16-23 years of age. As Mike put it, “you wouldn’t give alcohol to a baby because they are developing.”  Teens are still in the process of development and external substances can prohibit their mental growth.

Type classifications for addiction are: substance addiction and process addiction. Substance addiction includes the use of alcohol and drugs. Process addiction involves gambling, sex, eating disorders and spending. The internet gives someone suffering from addiction easier access to the substance or the act. Technology is not the problem, it’s the way people use it that create the problem. Parents need to be aware of its capabilities so they can help educate their kids about the consequences.

Technology impairs communication skills and intensifies drama by eliminating process time. Access to cell phones with internet and text allow a problem to keep manifesting. The generation, pre-internet and cell phone, would have the night to come away from gossip or drama. The next morning everyone forgot about the issue and focused on the new drama of the day. Technology disrupts this process and allows a situation to keep going without a break.

The internet and cell phones tend to desensitize by eliminating face to face interaction. Without confronting the damage from bad behavior, such as cyber bullying, it prevents a bully from seeing the effects of his bullying. Technology also creates instant gratification that is a major contributor of addiction.

Image mis-management is another consequence of misusing technology. At our finger tips we have the ability to portray whatever image we want. This allows teens to live in a delusional world never facing reality. When someone suffers from an image obsession they have sites influencing their sick thoughts. One site actually promotes anorexia, it’s called Pro-Anna, and gives recommendations. We need to be aware that technology plays a key role in the growth of the addiction. In fact, there are 18 million sites about diet. It’s good to want to be healthy but we focus too much on weight instead of health.

 A participant asked, “where are kids getting the alcohol?”. One of the teens quickly raised their hand but was cut off by an adult who felt they knew the answer. I turned to the person next to me and we looked at each other with the same thought, “why don’t we listen to the actual source?”.  I feel this moment is important to share because it indicates another problem with parenting, they are assuming and not LISTENING!  Times are different and parents as much as the kids need to be educated. Educate yourself on how technological advances are impacting teens today. Also, don’t underestimate your children. Kids are not ignorant when it comes to the internet. The problem stems from young teens not fully understanding the consequences. There is a difference between knowing and understanding. To understand you have to feel it and that involves having the information reiterated. We need to help kids live in reality and teach them how to communicate.

I felt the discussion was very eye-opening. A Michael Blanche did phenomenal job!  Mike has four-teen years of experience providing direct clinical counseling for those who are dually diagnosed with addiction and other psychological disorders. Mike is a passionate individual devoting his time to helping people in recovery.

Please comment! If you have questions or would like more information about the programs mentioned or people, please feel free to email me at: joyjsorrentino@gmail.com.

Alcoholism 101

Let’s discuss a very sensitive issue, alcoholism.

Here is a topic I will update on frequently. Alcoholism is a complicated disease. Alcohol is the leading cause of crime, reckless sexual behavior, abuse, car accidents and mental deterioration.  The insane part with alcohol is that it tends to be the center of social functions. This is part of what makes this disease powerful and difficult for society to battle.

I want to educate you about alcoholism. I find many people do not grasp what it means. Alcoholism is a disease that escalates over time. That is why it is termed a disease. Mental and health issues resulting from excessive drinking WILL get worse. The persona associated with a drinker is one who drinks from a brown bag and has a destructive life. They live in financial ruin and have nothing but the drink. This is true for a small percentage but only a few live like that. Eventually they will have nothing of value but some can live successfully in the working world.

Alcoholism is an addiction. Alcohol has control over you. If you find yourself trying to “control” your drinking than you have been introduced to the first part of the disease. Denial is an element stemming from fear and ego. When you look back at how much alcohol affects you then you see pure insanity. The problem is part of the disease wants to keep you incubated and blind to the bigger picture.

An alcoholic has many faces. There is the “Binge drinker”, the “Loner Drinker”, the “Emotional Drinker”, the “I have it under control Drinker”, the “Change Drinker”.. Each case is a little unique. The Binge drinker is the one we notice first. They over do it more times than not. They act irrational and create a scene. The Loner hides their drinking. You may not see it for a long time. They will hide bottles in weird places and have a science down so people will not notice. That is until it progresses and their memory is so impaired they begin making mistakes. Some will change places of venue. They will move or keep a distance from others to hide it.

I will blog later going into more detail about each type. I just want you to get an idea that the image society has grown accustomed to is not the only one. The other area I want to open your mind to are the quizes you see online. I personally think these need to be updated and more detailed. First, if you go on a site like that about your drinking than most likely you are an alcoholic. Deep down those who are know it. They try to fight it off for as long as they can. They are scared to get better because the life style has become comfortable.

Alcoholism is like a bad relationship. It gave you a few good times but overall it does nothing but cause you stress. You get comfortable and forget yourself. Deep down you know it is best to part but you have become defined by the relationship. Only alcoholism is far worse. It isn’t just about drinking itself, there are behavioral patterns incorporated with it. An alcoholic tends to have an ego, be compulsive, search for instant gratification, hunger for dopamine (also use sex as an escape), do not talk about their emotions and deep down are a mess. The biggest struggle for an alcoholic is learning to talk about their feelings. The reason alcoholics drink is because they do not know how to coop with life.

This disease is serious. Each minute someone is affected by it somehow. Good people die from this disease. What saddens me most is they never experience happiness. They lose their life feeling lost, scared and depressed. The only way to reach out to others is to educate.

Please share stories or thoughts!

Thank you!!