Romancing the addiction

Struggling with an opium addiction and frequenting singers, artists, playwrights and writers (Picasso, Edith Piaf and Jean Marais… to name a few), Jean Cocteau described opium addiction as: “All animals are charmed by opium. Addicts in the colonies know the danger of this bait for wild beasts and reptiles. Flies gather round the tray and dream, the lizards with their little mittens swoon on the ceiling above the lamp and wait for the night, mice come close and nibble the dross, … The cockroaches and the spiders form a circle in ecstasy.” In the seventeenth century and as recently as the early nineteen hundreds, travelers would feed their horses as much as two grams of opium before a particularly harrowing journey.

Naturally, the horses became addicted and looked forward to this special treat. It leads me to wonder if; “Stoned horses couldn’t take me away”.

Opium and its many derivatives have been around for centuries. The power of opium and the poppy plant is legendary throughout the world. In the writing’s of Homer’s Odyssey, Helen of Troy used an elixir (nepenthe) in an attempt to calm her grief. This elixir was opium based. Many author’s such as John Keats, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas De Quincey spoke highly of the pleasures associated with heroin use. Quincey’s letters to Elizabeth Barrett Browning described the dark side of withdrawal.

Individuals addicted to opium and their derivatives seek the mood altering effect bordering on lethargy. They romance the dream like feeling associated with this habit. Derivatives abound. Starting Opium, Morphine, Demerol, Dilaudid, Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, Percodan, Tylenol (Acetaminophen) with Codeine, Fiorinal (This medication is a combination product that contains acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), butalbital, caffeine, and codeine. ASA and codeine relieve pain. Butalbital, a barbiturate, is a relaxant.). These products can be addictive if misused. This is not an all inclusive list.

The “high”, the “euphoria”, is a state of mind people seek out in order to not face the realities of today. One of the main differences between alcohol addiction and opiate addiction is the unpredictability of the behaviour associated with alcohol consumption. The opiate addict will normally relax, take it easy, fall to sleep or, if having taken too much, go into a coma and die.

Learning to cope in a society rampant with crime, violence, and terrorism and the sexual exploitation and abuse of children is not an easy task. You only have to watch the evening news for extremely graphic exposure to these atrocities. The infernos which burn in the grey matter of the brain stoking the addiction to a higher heat must be quelled. Turning to drugs, alcohol, gambling or other dysfunctional behaviours as a way to extinguish the flames is always an option. There are alternatives. Massage therapy, aromatherapy, Thought Field Therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, soft music, etc. are some of the techniques people use to calm their demons. This allows them to relax in a safe environment with no damage to their health, the health of others or the engagement of destructive, violent behaviour.

If you have been prescribed a prescription medication, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist about the potential for addiction. You should clarify any interactions with other medications. Is it safe to use this medication with grapefruit juice? Can I take this medication if I drink alcohol? What if I’m pregnant or breast feeding? You should be aware of what you are putting in your body.

To me, romancing the dream is of far more importance than romancing the addiction. The addiction will take you only so far; and often on a downward spiral. The dream will take you upward and allow you to fly in this very world we live in; not as we would have it but as reality.

Someone said; “It is better to aim for the stars and hit an eagle than to aim for an eagle and hit a rock”. How high is your aim? How much are you willing to risk to get there? I don’t mean at the casino or bingo hall.

Franklin D. Roosevelt quoted in a speech; “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance”. If that is the case, what is holding us back from daring to dream, to convert our dreams into reality, and to finally being the person we were meant to be.

No one is meant to be a drug addict. No one is meant to be addicted to anything. We were born free and we were given a free will. The only way you can lose that precious gift is by handing it to someone. Be all you can be. If you have difficulty in some area of your life or if you feel alcohol, drugs or other addictions is keeping you from reaching your goals, then you owe it to yourself to reach out for help at one of the numbers listed below.

You may contact me at (888) 613-2667, mailing address: PO Box 1150, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0 or email me at adventuresinrecovery@yahoo.com.

Counselling services in Fort St. James are:

• Fort Alcohol & Drug Services 250-996-8411

• Nechako Valley Community

Services

250-996-7645

• Nak’azdli Health Centre

250-996-7400

• Tl’azt’en Nation Health Centre 250-648-3350

• Adventures in Recovery

Counselling (866) 613-2667