Give Me The Coffee And No One Gets Hurt

This post is dedicated, with much love, to.. I think you all know who you are.

A lot of the amazing blogs that I follow have been posting lately about addiction and it’s effect on their lives. Mothers of addicts, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives… And it breaks my heart because the over riding emotions are shame and guilt.

Families are wondering where they went wrong, what could they have done better as a parent or spouse. Why this baby they had just yesterday got sucked into this dark horrible world.

They feel stigmatized. Judged. It’s a modern day tragedy and it’s an epidemic. There are all sorts of theories and beliefs as to how to combat it but obviously none are effective because the problem is increasing not decreasing.

I believe we’re conditioned to addiction by the media. By advertising and also by greedy scumbag insurance companies and “rehabilitation centers”.

Please read this link, it will open your eyes to where those inflated insurance premiums you pay and tax dollars are going. The Florida Shuffle – but you can bet your sweet ass this isn’t only happening in Florida.

As for the advertising. What a morally corrupt industry that is. To continue to promote life threatening addictive substances long after the effects were known is truly depraved.

“Hangry? Have a Snickers”

Food addiction is real but oh how we laugh at pictures of people who suffer from it. They’re perceived as stupid and greedy. We’ve all heard the “Inside every fat person is a skinny person trying to get out”

How about “inside every addict is a lonely scared person just wanting to feel valued and worthy” instead?

Whole industries such as Phillip Morris, the largest cigarette manufacturer with brands like Marlboro and Benson and Hedges, are allowed to continue to make astronomical profits because there’s equally as much money at the other end for insurance companies, hospitals etc.

Make no mistake, addiction is a boom industry and it’s proving even more lucrative than Cancer.

So what can we do?

Me. You.

Well first of all we can stop stigmatizing addicts and their families. As we’ve seen so much, addiction hits everyone from the richest to the poorest. Stop looking down on someone for a problem you yourself have.

Me?? An ADDICT???

Yes. You! Me too! Just because something is socially acceptable it doesn’t mean it’s less of an addiction. Caffeine. Who here says “I can’t function without my coffee” Who here says “I can’t go a day without chocolate/tea/Pepsi, potatoes..

How many times have you answered the question “What’s one thing you can’t live without?”

We CAN end the stigma. We CAN show compassion. We CAN allow people – ALL people – the courtesy of being treated with respect and civility.

Maybe if we show a little more empathy and kindness we can help someone reclaim themselves. Let’s just accept that there but for the grace of God go I.

Lives change in an instant. God forbid it happens to you or yours but if it does, I’ll hold your hand.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to change the world. Start Today!!