I don’t know the details of Mr. Hoffman’s death or personal
life so I can’t comment on any of that. But here’s what I can say about my
feeling on the large issue of addiction.
When Kurt Cobain killed himself I was only recently a
teenager. He had escaped from a rehab center and killed himself in his home. But
when the news hit I felt neither shock nor sadness. I felt angry. I considered
snapping my “Nevermind” CD but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I still threw it
away. I hadn’t matured much more when Chris Farley died. Again, anger. I remember
thinking, “I guess we just can’t have heroes anymore.”
What can I say except that I was acting like a jerk.
I knew nothing of addiction. I haven’t become an expert but
I have seen more of it. We all have. And yet there is still the inclination to
look down on those who do drugs, or alcohol, or anything to extreme degrees. We say, “What is wrong these people?! Why don’t
they just stop? These deaths would be entirely avoidable. I’d never be like
that!” Several years ago I read a
fictional story of a wealthy man so fed up with drug users that he spent a good
deal of his fortune to poison some drugs before they were sold to users. Deaths
would increase so in response people would quit using out of certain death. It
didn’t work. The deaths continued to pile up even after the story broke. People
kept using. He didn’t get it. Too many
of us think “Oh that will never be me.”
No so fast. Addiction can happened to anyone about anything,
even good things. People get addicted to exercise for example. If that make too
much since to you then consider Quinn Pitcock. Never heard of him you say? Not surprising.
Pitcock was a professional football player drafted in the 3rd round
by the Colts. He actually retired for a brief while but when he attempted a
comeback, his addiction ruined his chance. The culprit? “Call of Duty." That’s
a video game. At one point he was playing 18 hours a day.
Addiction is a physical problem because it can change the
way the brain operates which in turn affects our entire body. It is a mental
problem and we have been awful at trying deal with mental diseases. It’s not
something that be turned on and off like a light switch. First we as a people
need to change our perception of drug users. Dismissing them only leads to more
using as they try and deal with that pain. Users cannot be put into general
prisons, left to go through painful detox on cold cell floors surrounded by
prison staff that couldn’t help the inmates even if they wanted to. They are corrections officers not drug counselors. The battle inside an addict’s brain must be
changed and that takes time. Prevention is the best way but when addictions
threaten the user or puts others at risk incarceration does nothing. Rehabilitation
can do everything
Mr. Hoffman was a brilliant actor. I’m not angry at him. He
had a neurological disorder and until we see addiction for what it is this will
get happening. Is his death our fault? Of
course not but it’s the addiction culture that we are letting down.
I wish I knew more. Perhaps what I’ve written is way off the
mark. I didn’t spend hours researching it; I just booted up my computer and
started writing.
In the future I sure
hope I take the time to learn what I can. I just may have to counsel someone
someday, even if all I can do is take the time to truly listen to their story.
Really listen.