Chapter 17

The question may be asked – is drug abuse a moral problem? That is a simple and uncomplicated question, and the answer is: most definitely YES. The dictionary defines the word moral as: “of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior; ethical; expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior; conforming to a standard of right behavior; sanctioned by one's conscience or ethical judgment.”

One every level, an addict most assuredly engages in immoral, depraved, dishonest, self-indulgent, hedonistic, deceitful, and untrustworthy behavior bordering on outright wickedness and debauchery; hence it should seem perfectly clear that all addicts are by definition morally wrong (or immoral). An addict usually commits every known possible sin, and then invents a few more to go along with it.

This may be an uncomfortable self realization for some, but it is unavoidable truth: we are what we do, plain and simple. There is no use brushing aside responsibility for wicked behaviors in favor of the delusion that addicts are “not imperfect people who need improvement, but sick people who need to get well.” The fact is: we are rebels who need to lay down our arms. You cannot avoid obvious truth by white-washing decadent behavior, denying its existence in our lives, or blaming it on a disease. This is not to say there are not biological causes motivating behaviors in an addict, because obviously there are. But I intend to clearly point out that alcoholism has gone on for thousands of years and is mentioned in the Bible numerous times as a sin – and all sin leads to death.

All of our lives are driven by choices, plain and simple. Some choices are harder than others, and some urges, desires, or compulsions are overwhelming to the point of insanity (as is the case with addiction); but this still does not relieve us of the responsibility of choice. On some level, you could make the argument that Adolf Hitler himself had some good in him and was not morally wrong, just misunderstood, misdirected, but yet still well-intentioned. The fact is: good intentions alone pave the way to hell. If at any time you falsely believe that addiction is not a moral problem, ask yourself this simple question: why does society frantically want to lock an addict away and toss out the key? Could it be the logical consequence of wicked behavior committed by a desperately wicked person? Yes, of course.

Now this brings me to my next point: once an addict recognizes his moral problem, and acknowledges the harmful and negative impact on his life and society – this makes no difference and is seemingly still not enough to effect change (insomuch as the simple awareness of moral transgressions does not seem to matter at first). Hence we see the problems inherent with jailing an addict: too often he is unable to draw the connection between the good feeling of the drugs or alcohol with the punishment of that behavior, so upon release he repeats the bad habit… and on goes the circle of eternal punishment with no healing. The reason the paradox is so baffling to those outside addiction (that being confusion of why an addict engages in temporary pleasure knowing full well enormous pain will soon result) is simply that the addict has trained his pleasure sensors (so to speak) and simultaneously numbed his pain sensors. The neurobiological study of addiction teaches us these simple principles.

Is there a solution? Yes, indeed. Good programs of recovery reconstitute good habits in well-intentioned people to properly develop morally upright behaviors over time, which of course leads eventually to being morally decent. You have to walk the talk. Be the change you want to see.