Addiction: What it is and what it ain't.
Written by Terry, for the NEON Peer Educator Blog
On Wednesday February 19th I attended a thoughtful informative and eye-opening lecture about the truth and myths about addiction. I attended along with 9 other peer educators from Project NEON.
The speaker was Dr. Gabor Mate. I was both up-lifted and rejuvenated by his candor and logic. He presented and debunked long held stereotypes and beliefs about addiction; people who are addicted; and the many and multifaceted (but always deeply personal) reasons why individuals become chronically addicted to substances or actions. I was most enlightened by his explanation of how society looks down upon the street level addict with disdain, but celebrates the corporate giants' addiction to profit at the expense of the health of the public.
For anyone who is affected by addiction, or knows someone who is, forget about what you know about addiction and read his book. It will make you feel human again.