A friend of a friend died of a heroin overdose yesterday.
My girlfriend and I had never met that person, but we spent the night talking about him and what may have driven him.
I’ve never been a regular drug user and can’t begin to imagine what it’s like, but I do have some perspective to share. Maybe it’ll help you or someone you know.
I’m 14 years old.
An RCMP officer by the name of Beaucage comes to our high school and spends an hour talking with us about saying no to drugs.
Unusually, he doesn’t follow the industry-standard fear-based approach, nor does he restrict himself to talking about the really bad drugs that’ll get us arrested, thrown in jail or killed.
Here’s the most memorable part of his talk, featuring a drug that almost all of us consume on a regular basis without thinking twice about it:
I come home after a long day at work.
I just had an argument with my boss. He’s an idiot.
My wife is getting on my case about not stopping at the grocery store.
I get a phone call: my son did something bad at school and is getting suspended. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.
I open the fridge, grab a six-pack of beer, plop down on my sofa and crack open a can.
Why am I drinking?
To forget my problems.
He lets his words sink in for a moment, then restarts his story.
I come home after work.
I just had a long talk with my boss and we were able to see things each others’ way. He’s not such a bad guy after all.
I remember to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. My wife is pleased.
My son shows me a project he’s been working on. He seems really passionate about it. He’s a good kid and I’m proud of him.
I open the fridge, grab a six-pack, sit down and open a can.
Why am I drinking?
Because I enjoy it.
What I take away from the talk is that there’s a difference between consuming to have a positive experience, and consuming to defer negative feelings.
Taking hard drugs out of enjoyment doesn’t make them any safer, but abusing more innocuous drugs (or food, or video games, or pornography, or anything else) doesn’t solve one’s problems and in fact can make them worse.
Addiction is withdrawal into a negative spiral.
Solving problems requires doing the opposite: forming human connections and working on things that compound positively - a hobby, a craft, a community, a career, etc.
That’s all I can contribute on this particular topic. Maybe it’ll inspire you to talk with someone else who knows much more about it.
I hope you and the ones you care about will be able to find their way.
Be safe.