Addiction in a Consumer Culture

For me addiction is about having trouble letting go of ANYTHING that has ever been helpful. That includes people, food, experiences, substances of all kinds etc. I have no conventionally understood addictions right now, but I am deeply resonant with the concept of addiction. Our consumer oriented culture teaches us to cling to everything. Capitalism relies on making us believe we need all sorts of things we really don’t need.

Healing for me is learning to stop clinging. Completely.

~~~

At Beyond Meds the term addiction is often used as nomenclature for social commentary and not specifically about any particular drug use whether legal or illegal. The argument is that our culture is one of over-consumption and addiction in general, thereby affecting everyone regardless of whether one ingests any specific drugs at all. It’s a wider commentary that focuses on inclusion. That doesn’t mean that differences aren’t also a legitimate window some of the time it’s simply not what is being considered for the scope of this work.

Addiction is a societal issue.

Consumerism and capitalism is dependent on the addict in everyone. Recognizing this fundamental issue with our society is part of a much deeper social commentary that this speaks to. Gabor Mate, Marion Woodman and others speak to this expertly if you’d like to do further research. Our society needs healing, it’s not just particular individuals who need to heal.

We are all connected. Inextricably so.

This argument can be true and we can also note real differences in how people use drugs. There is no argument there on my part. Language is inherently imprecise and context must always be considered.

This is a simple argument of inclusion.

Arguments that concentrate on differences can be true simultaneously.

I’ve cut and pasted the above comments from two different articles from the past from Beyond Meds since this issue comes up again and again — clarity on the nuances of this stance is important. 

• Choice and emotion: a short essay with some musing
• Is there choice involved in “letting go?”
• On compulsive behaviors (addictions, etc)

More related from Beyond Meds:

• People use drugs, legal & illegal, because…
• Addiction: it ain’t what you think
• We are all addicts
• (Psychotropic) drugs are drugs are drugs. Legal, illicit not so significant
• Addiction is not an Illness
• Ask, not why the addiction, but why the pain?
• Breaking Through A Toxic Environment
• Power of addiction and addiction to power

We see that this sort of thinking belongs to what might be called the perennial philosophy. It’s been discovered by many others in various traditions as well. I simply happened upon the two below quotations when I was looking for an image for this post. I had not been thinking of either of them when I mused the above thoughts. This suggests to me that we all have access to the same truths.

–

–Posts from Beyond Meds on the nature of addiction and similar:

• Dr. Gabor Maté ~ Who We Are When We Are Not Addicted: The Possible Human

• Addiction: it ain’t what you think

• We are a sensitive species who have forgotten who we are

• drugging and distraction — James Hollis

• We accept a cultural value that annihilates the Earth (making us all sick and in denial

• Ask, not why the addiction, but why the pain?

• Mental illness, addiction & most chronic illness is linked to childhood loss & trauma

• Our addiction to stuff is killing us. We need to own our inner addicts. All of us.

• We are all addicts…

• Addiction is not an Illness

• We accept a cultural value that annihilates the Earth (making us all sick and in denial)

• Tobacco, addiction and healing

 

Support Everything Matters: Beyond Meds. Make a donation with PayPal Thank you!