|
Remember that when a man gets into drugs in a serious way, he
embraces a new way of life. It isn’t just the drug taking that
makes him different. A lot of things change. If he is in school, his
academics will suffer, if he does not drop out altogether. He is
hanging out with friends who, like him, are using drugs and are into
a similar lifestyle.
Remember that drug taking is illegal and
punishable by law. People who use drugs are hiding from the cops,
from their families and from authority figures who might report on
them. In avoiding detection, addicts resort to every means to keep
their activities from prying eyes. They lie a lot about their
whereabouts, their intentions, friends etc. They will easily get
into all kinds of dishonesty. Soon, their conscience dies and they
no longer feel remorse for the damage they cause. And this dulling
of the conscience allows them to get into all sorts of activities
that are self-destructive.
It also creates in the addict an insensitive
heart. Though he disrupts the family, he doesn’t seem to care if
he hurts the ones who love him most. In short, his addiction is
built around a whole new lifestyle that becomes strongly embedded in
his daily life.
Straight people have the mistaken belief that
addicts want to change, but cannot. The truth is they rarely want to
change even if they say they do. We straights find it hard to
believe that, considering all the trouble and misery that comes with
the lifestyle, addicts would not want a new, less self-destructive
way of life, but they don’t. The very nature of their addiction,
the highs that their drugs give them, and the forbidden pleasures
they derive from the activities associated with drug use; all
conspire against any sustained desire to change.
This is why addicts need to be forced into
rehab. They don’t want to go in of their own accord because that
would mean an end to their drugs, alcohol, and the pursuit of
pleasure. It means getting serious about changing and putting the
old life behind them and taking on a new drug-free and law-abiding
lifestyle.
Families need to understand this if they are to
truly help their loved ones with an addiction problem. They need to
understand that drug addiction is a serious matter that will not go
away by preaching and threatening. When it is clear that drugs are a
problem, it is time to stop talking and take a firm course of
action.
__
If you have problems about drugs, alcohol and
behavior/attitude call my office at 8206107 or 8251771 or e-mail me
at gvcbuenca@vasia.com or write me at P.O. Box 2099 MCPO, Makati
City.
|
