Like many, I grew up in an alcoholic home, then became one myself for many years. So my own children, now in their 40’s, also grew up in an alcoholic home, and one of them also became an addict. We are among the fortunate and we are now in our 25th year of recovery, as individuals and as a family unit. Two of us have also spent some years working in the addictions field, so we have a pretty fair overview view of the effects of serious addiction, not only on the addict, but on the family and the world of the addict.
There is simply no way for me not to see what has happened to America, as anything other than an addictive process entering the final stages. Every single step of the progression of any serious addictive process is glaringly obvious.
We originally got to these shores from a world of hurt, consumed by a desire for relief of that hurt, and a better life.
We saw a world of riches (relief, hope) waiting for us. We tasted, we liked it a lot, and we wanted more and more.
We wanted it so badly our subconscious minds made it possible for us to believe we had a right to it, so we took it. But it wasn’t enough, so we reached for more. Then more. We called it progress, and it was literally irresistible.
Each piece (drink) we consumed made us feel even better: bigger, stronger, more “powerful”.
Feeling powerful is a wonderful thing, especially to those who know what having none feels like.
If a little power feels this good, just think how good MORE will feel!
Power came to mean wealth, in very short order. Wealth meant having power over others.
So, wealth must be sought with diligence, because wealth =’s power.
And so it came to be that “power”, in the form of wealth, and it’s control over others, long ago became Americans substance of choice.
And a porgressive and deadly addiction to it has been America’s downfall.
Rationalization comes into it’s own soon into the process: the human mind has an incredible and often subconscious ability to justify, in ways unarguable to anyone, whatever it takes to get more of what the addict needs. Even to make it seem a rather lofty goal, such as building a “free market” based on healthy competition. How could that be anything BUT good for all concerned? It brought incredible progress, and more and more power to the “fittest” who were, of course, also the “strongest”.
Denial, now there is one clever mechanism addiction uses with finesse. Denial is another mind mechanism that comes in very handy to an addict and those who are benefiting from the addicts actions. Its prime power is in concealing it’s existence so totally, from the one exercising it.
Denial, I believe, accounts for the growing ruthlessness of those engaged in exercising the acceptable dynamic of competition. It’s what allows the “takers” to exploit or even harm ones neighbors, without feeling too bad about it, because after all, that’s just “good business”. No need for any guilt or concern about the consequences of ones own “business behaviors,” in fact, we reward people for this quite well too, as evidenced by the rise in CEO salaries. We’re all just doing what we should do: pursuing the American Dream of Success!
Success is the sweet blended elixir of wealth and power. It’s almost magical in how good it can make us feel. It is the creator of all necessary illusions.
We all want some, and when we get even a small taste, we want more. Then more. Because we’re so greedy by nature, all of us?
No. Simply because success, based on the power of wealth, is a highly addictive substance, period.
It gives us a “high” like none other.
It makes us feel powerful and worthy.
It buys us notice and respect from others simply because they can SEE we have it.
It buys us entry into a “first class” existence.
And it is much easier to use to control others, than the kind of power based on character and principle.
And denial, that lovely little silent mind-friend, helps us stay focused on the endless pursuit of “more”, no matter cost to our character, values and principles, or the effects on anyone “under” us on the ladder of success.
Then, along with the mechanisms of rationalization and denial, addiction provides us a third mind-mechanism, to make who we are becoming acceptable to us, and that’s the one called projection. This soon becomes a reflective action that makes us immediately look outside of ourselves for someone or something else to blame for any misery we may encounter .
It’s all her fault. His fault. Their fault. Bushes fault. The Republicans fault. The Muslims fault. The Right Wingers fault. The liberals fault. (and on and on and on)
The reason we like projection so much is because then all we have to change is “other guy”. Or just get rid of the most objectionable addict in our midst. Impeach Bush! Get rid of Rummy! Dump Cheney! Kill off this nasty enemy or that nasty enemy! THEN it will all get better. Projection all but insures that we will never have to look into our own mirror to see what role we’ve played.
Rationalization, denial, projection, all of these subtle and powerful mind mechanisms, and more, that the addictive process delivers in spades, all grease the skids for the unfettered progression of any serious addictive process.
And then we are constantly assisted by media to feed all of these with the millions little “quick fixes” we each have accumulated in our lives in order to feel better. Maybe we cuddle up with our IPods. We go buy that new Playstation or another new CD or DVD . We decide to redecorate again, or go to Spain, or watch some more TV or indulge our internet addiction or whatever helps distract us from seeing or feeling undesirable realities.
And so the addictive process marches on, in invisible combat boots that make not a sound, to an ominous, relentless and deadly drum beat all its own.
During the years when my children needed my love and guidance the most , I had lost all capacity to meet their needs, except for seeing to their physical needs for food and shelter. I was too consumed by the addiction: feeding it, insuring my supply, hiding it well, hiding the consequences of it, even it meant lying and stealing and cheating even those I loved. That is what addiction does to human beings.
And this is the kind of person we elected to the highest office in our land. This may, in fact be the only kind of person we will ever get to choose from, from within a system as riddled from the bottom up as this one is, by the addictive process.
I think we have all become addicts now, in addition to our role as family members in a badly addicted country. I know I am. I am very much addicted to all my current comforts.
I want uninterrupted electricity flowing form an outlet on every wall.
I want an endless quantity of hot and cold water running freely from all my taps
I want my toilet to flush willingly and effectively.
I want a roof that doesn’t leak, in a safe section of town.
I want gas available for my van, and as much of it as I may want to use.
I want to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, inside my home.
I want the food I like on a nearby grocery shelf at a price I can afford.
I really want and need my computer, and my access to the internets.
I really need my cell phone, for emergencies.
I don’t really wish to give up any of these things.
Even though I know, for a fact, that innocent people are dying in other countries so I CAN have these things, in unlimited supply.
Hello.
My name is scribe, and I am an addict.
