The Culture of Addiction

1. The Culture of Addiction

2. Core Elements in the Culture of Addiction • Supposition (Key Theme) • The culture of addiction and process of immersion into the the culture of addiction serves to disengage the individual from society into a self-sequestered tribe of addicts.

3. Tribes • Seek out and build relationships with other people whose drug use or recovery mirrors their own • Create small groups within which they can nurture the rituals of drug use or recovery • Tribes can overlap, creating a broader social network of drug users who share common goals and attributes • Then again, tribes will also form based on particular drugs of abuse / drawing war-lines so to speak

4. Drug Tribes • Celebrated (alcoholic / tobacco) • Tolerated (Marijuana) • Instrumental (prescribed drugs) • Prohibited (heroin, cocaine, club drugs)

5. Language • The culturally enmeshed addict experiences a transformation in language that parallels their progression of addiction. • Language changes reflect transition into and confirmation of one’s new identity.

6. Language • Mastery of language confirms membership, and separates us from them • Language shift includes use of more slangs, profanity, symbolic words for drugs, folktales, stories of hustling, euphoric recall of intoxication episodes, stories of wanting to clean-up, but when cleaning wanting to get high)

7. Language (contd).

8. Clinical Implications • Language provides the pathway back to and away from addiction • Thus according to White (1996) Addicts must relearn how to communicate • Teach language skills / cognitive and affective • Change the addict role • Clinician must be careful of what language they use (avoid the hustle)

9. Religion, Morality, and Values • When an individual begins a relationship with a psychoactive drug he or she brings to that relationship a set of pr-existing values and beliefs. • For some individuals the immersion into the culture of addiction strips former values and beliefs apart • Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde

10. Religion, Morality, and Values (cont.) • Commit acts the former pre-addict personality would never dream of • Our former values become insignificant • Sometimes in the late stages the addiction that created the spiritual void may lead the addict to surrender • This doesn’t happen to everyone

11. The Addict Personality in the Web of the Culture of Addiction The Drug comes first Everyone’s on the make Don’t trust anyone Don’t feel Avoid responsibility Every Interaction is Potential Hustle Cultivate Excitement through Risk Violate taboos The Image is the Message Cunning over Conscience

12. Symbols • Collection of physical trappings • Reinforce identification with the culture proclaiming identity and allegiance • Addict become oblivious of their presence and more importantly downplays excessive drug use • Individuals may also unconsciously downplay the danger of particular symbols and symbolic play within their culture

13. Symbols

14. Symbols and Treatment • Symbols reinforce or recall behaviour promoting drug use • This is frequently ignored in treatment • White (1996) suggests that a role for treatment is to remove symbols that reflect addiction and replace them with symbols of recovery

15. Tribe Rituals • When does drug use begin? • Understanding patterns of use can help treatment providers mitigate relaspe potential • When does craving hit - around what activities • Making the addict conscious of these

17. Rituals and Treatment • Identify • Understand significance • Extinguish rituals / replace with healthy rituals • New meaning / purpose

18. History and Mythology • Tribes establish a history and folklore and pass it down • Stories include heroism, fall from grace, how to use, how not to, tribal wars, etc. • Every famous personality who is arrested, who dies, provides confirmation of addicts participation in an elite society. • Straight cultural folklore against addiction confirms elitism

19. Institutions (Places) • Geographic places (tribe dependent) • Brings forth memories that bind cultures and serve as triggers • Treatment (clinician task is to root out these triggers)

20. Dress and Appearance • Change of dress change of 1) identity or 2) denial / hiding reality • Most often change and dress and appearance relates to to decline in self-care, hygiene and health • Late stages of addiction - no one home to care how one appears or presents oneself

22. Diet and Food • Recovery • Regulating food and moods • Sugar control • Increase of fats & carbs • Manage drug hunger through diet and exercise Addiction • No fruits or vegetables • Junk food • Increase of fats & carbs • Barely any food at all

23. Music • Recovery • Establish links between certain types of music or songs and euphoric recall of drug intoxication • Explore different types Addiction • Songs about using, hustling, or pimping • Social distortion story - linking two unrelated events together (musical stimuli to the experiences of intoxication

24. Work and Leisure • The world of work and leisure are transformed by the culture of addiction • Meaning and Value Change • One’s job is only seen as a continued access to drug supply • Job last link to mainstream sobriety • The real task of work each day - “getting by” • Elders in the culture of addiction teach how to “get by”

25. “Elders Teach Getting By” • Occupations and jobs roles especially suited for addicts • Learn stories to justify absenteeism and tardiness • How to use at work without getting caught • Avoiding detection to not get caught • Engineered stories of previous firing / job loss • Method of beating company’s drug testing system http://livesafely.org/personal-freedom/how-to-beat-a-urine-test/ • Creative use of accidents / medical benefits / disability / WCB With the final loss of legitimate job roles, the major umbilical cord to society is severed

26. Leisure Time: A Three Stage Transformation Leisure Activities Based on Personal Interests Leisure Activities Personal vested interests continue Drug use becomes the activity Leisure activities disappear / rituals and habits surrounding culture of addiction become deeply embedded But drugs and alcohol almost always present Drug use maybe

27. Literature • Recovery • Introduction to recovery literature • Spiritual literature • Literature offering different ideas for treatment Addiction • First-person accounts of addiction • Technical books on drugs and their effects • Law books (provide detailed information on drug control laws, one’s rights if arrested

28. Family • Recovery • Reunited with family (if possible) • Re-integration (trust building) Addiction • Initially a safety net • Family distances themselves due to destructiveness • Street family adopted

29. Sexual Trauma • Predatory nature of the culture of addiction can further objectify and exploit those already sexually traumatized • Clinician must determine route of treatment - concurrently or after stabilizing?

30. Sexual Identity • Diffuse sexual orientation • Culture of addiction accept, promote, further confuse sexual orientation • Sexual shame / guilt • How are we to treat? • What does recovering person return to ‘how’

31. Summary: Culture of Addiction