Due to there being strict laws and punishments in Canada and most other countries for the use and abuse of certain illicit drugs, people who become caught up in the cycle of addiction are deemed, by the law, to be criminals. It does not give an addict help or assist their position in any way.
Illicit drugs are by definition supplied to drug users by criminals. Many drug users resort to criminal means such as stealing, often with violence, and prostitution to meet the high cost of illicit drugs to support their habit. The cycle of addiction is vicious enough – to impose the risk of criminal sanction every time a drug addict deals only makes the lifestyle more risky and inherently more vicious.
Drug addicts with a heavy dependency soon find the drug addicted life to be incompatible with the ways of mainstream society. Even if users consider themselves to be “functional”, the use of drugs will often mean a lot of denial about the real impact that the drugs are having on their ability to perform. Very often the drug user fails to see the extent of their problem, believing it to be “under control”.
Sometimes, the reality check can be abrupt – divorce, termination of employment, business failure and encounters with the “law”. Instead of giving an addict help in terms of a “wake up” call, when disaster strikes – an addict will often simply retreat further into drug dependency, and criminal behavior.
Drug use feels “right” to fix a person’s emotional problems – the drug user feels powerful and “in control”. When the addict starts to realize that drug use is not a solution and is causing more problems than it resolves, they generally will still want to use, to get emotional and physical relief from worry and tension and stress.
Manmade laws follow the norms and political beliefs of a particular country and hopefully the majority of its citizens. We might not agree with prevailing laws, but most accept in general terms that laws have to be put in place for the common good.
Nature has “laws” too, which are fixed and inflexible – we probably would not be happy if the sun decided that it would not shine tomorrow, or if the water in our rivers started flowing backwards up the hill. The apparent lack of power in nature to resist gross interference by man has led to widespread beliefs among people that we have “power” over nature. Just as we make legislation to serve the interests of power elites, so we play around with natural laws – and think we are in control.
People need emotional support, a balance of restriction and freedom to develop in a healthy way. Interfere with natural laws and nature acts to restore order and harmony. People subject to emotional abuse respond in defensive ways.
To give an addict help is to recognize that using drugs is a means of defense against feelings of insecurity and emotional pain. When someone has broken the natural law where the addict is concerned, addict help consists of helping to restore natural “law” and order to provide a basis for emotional security and positive self esteem.
Imposing “criminal” sanctions and providing chemical regulation for addiction doesn’t give addicts help. To recover fully from addiction addicts need holistic care and treatments which follow natural principles. When people are enabled to fully deal with the causes of distress – they will not need to use drugs and will become addiction free.
Author: National Addiction Resources
America's Best Treatment Directory
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