Page 6 - NOV2022

Page 6
Community
By William nieman
Let me begin with two disclo- sures. First, for me, Part 2 con- tinues my experience of karma. This is to say, to address unfold- ing events and memories of my teenage misdirection. Secondly, although somewhat wizened by 80 years of witness, I am no ex- pert on drugs, their use, misuse, and addiction. I will express my thoughts on causes and cures after listening to many who know more and researching liter- ature. My intent is to engage the reader in a collaborative explo- ration of this societal challenge, a challenge hurtfully injurious to many of our relatives, friends, and neighbors. I hope you find Part 2 thought-provoking, but more than this, I hope it will in- spire some to commit more of their own resources to the strug- gle against this challenging epi- demic.
Our country’s response to the “drug crisis” has many unselfish heroes, kind intentions, and the application of professional exper- tise, but success in curtailing the epidemic is elusive. The number and percentages of use and mis- use (including fatalities) continue to climb. In some respects, the statistics for New Hampshire are
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November 2022
Alcohol, Drugs, and Karma - Part 2
even more disheartening than for the nation as a whole.
Why is America, a free and rich land, so vulnerable? Perhaps its very freedom and wealth pro- vide part of the answer. If this were a totalitarian theocracy, the restriction, even eliminating drug use and addiction, would be easily managed. There is no need for consensus in totalitarian states, especially where some be- haviors are considered sinful or seditious. The wealth of a soci- ety can be a double-edged sword as well. Some adolescents have disposable income to do with as they wish, and the choices are not always wise.
The majority of those who “experiment” do not become ad- dicts. So why are some seduced? The experts tell us that the vul- nerable tend to have had “ad- verse childhood experiences .” These can be traumas of physical or emotional poverty or traumas of perverse physical or emo- tional abuse. In the case of an adolescent, these circumstances can leave the youngster needing the affirmation of a “different reality” and of persuasive peers who may have experienced sim- ilar traumas. Another indicator that a youngster or adult may be
vulnerable is a family history of addiction. In this circumstance, the vulnerable person may have not only environmental prompts but also a biologically inherited predisposition for addiction. For adults, self-medication may be an entrapment of addiction. What- ever the cause, at some point, the person inclined to be an addict reaches a “tipping point” in his or her drug use. If not addressed by enlightened
intervention, three plateaus of drug abuse are likely to follow this divide. First, there is the ex- perience of Habituation (psycho- logical dependence), then comes Addiction (physiological need), and finally, Affliction (the need for the drug is intensified by physical pain). The following programs and the people who facilitate them work tirelessly to prevent or, if necessary, to interrupt this potentially fatal journey.
The reader may be aware of CADY (Communities for Alco- hol and Drug-Free Youth). It is the most ubiquitous organization in this area fighting the drug ep- idemic (CADY communications appear on Facebook, Twitter, and numerous publications). Eleven full-time staff and 150 volunteers work under the lead- ership of Deb Naro, the Execu- tive Director. Deb has been with CADY for two decades. She has
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