May 9, 2012. Paul Hixon
I recently read an article that related the sad situation of children in Afghanistan. It appears that the opium fields are used for more than illegal drug trade. Many parents give the drugs to their children to insure that they sleep. This could mean that in many cases, the children grow up dependent on the drug.
Unfortunately, that is worse because when you grow up with a substance it is theoretically even more difficult to recognize a dependency. It seems ‘natural‘ to the now adult child to continue using the drug. He always did, so why should he change. It is kind of like coffee in other cultures.
When you talk about eliminating addictions, this does, of course, make it that much more difficult. If unable to recognize an addiction, there is very little likelihood that an addict will do anything about it. This is because he does not see any need.
Addiction is a horrible thing, in any of its many forms. From marijuana addiction, which some say is mild to non-existent, to more dangerous addictions that can bring one close to death faster, the problem has various manifestations.
Nothing can be done about an addiction, in my opinion, if the addicted person is unable or unwilling to:
1. Acknowledge the addiction and the problems that come from addiction
2. Be willing to do something about it.
Without those two basic needs in place, there is little change that an addiction will be conquered. And even if there is a temporary lull, the addiction will come back. Teaching coping skills (behavioral modification) is probably going to be necessary regardless of whether any other approaches are utilized or not.
Just like many other aspects or our lives, beating an addiction is going to largely depend on the person himself. To think that there is a way to help an addict who won’t help himself or acknowledge the problem, is taking a difficult road. This is true, unless the help provided is with the intention of helping the addict reach the two realizations noted above.
What chance does a child in Afghanistan have who grows up dependent in light of all of the above being true? I hope some better answers can be found!
Updated May 9, 2012. Published February 6, 2011. Paul Hixon
