Addiction – What If Everything We’d Been Taught Was Wrong?

Growing up, the song “Ruby don’t take your love to town” by Kenny Rogers, was on the radio.   It highlighted the distress of a soldier back home from the Vietnamese war – a war where 20% of American soldiers were addicted to heroin.  But, 95% of those soldiers dropped their addiction when returning home.  Whilst they became drug addicts in war, most didn’t remain addicted when back in civilian life amongst their emotional support systems.  Surprisingly, heroin lost the addictive hook.  So, what if it’s not the substance but the situation, that so hooks the addict?  What if the rat in the cage drops his addiction as soon as his pals, some toys, and regular sex appears on the scene?  What if, humans respond in the same way as rodents, but in their uniquely human cage?

The 1970’s experiments by Professor Bruce Alexander proved that social isolation leads to addiction – it’s not your chemicals, it’s your cage – and that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it’s connection.  So, Ruby – please don’t take your love to town, but do watch: http://theunboundedspirit.com/drugs-dont-cause-addiction-this-short-animated-video-will-change-your-view-on-drugs-forever/

For book worms, maybe go buy Chasing The Scream, by Johann Hari or watch his TED video highlighting the ‘achievements’ of the 100 year War on Drugs.