“Drug Addicts” are really just Brilliant Strategists in Disguise

For the past nine months, I’ve worked at an undisclosed, five-star treatment facility. As I programmed Outpatient Groups during that time, I’ve had the clinical opportunity to sit with — and genuinely explore the lives of “Drug Addicts and Alcoholics”.

I’ll open by saying I deeply disagree with self-labeling. I understand that, within the 12-step model, the constant re-enforcement of calling oneself an “addict” or an “alcoholic” is rooted in the ritual of “reminding yourself of your tendencies so you never slip”.

Clinically, I believe there to be a variety of other, more constructive ways to achieve the same goal without personalizing a condition into the social identity of the sufferer.

Despite how this might impact the self-esteem of the person dealing with addictive tendencies, I continue to notice an ongoing phenomena that have altered the course of my treatment delivery:

The clients I’ve worked with all have an unparalleled — underlying, strategic brilliance inside of them.

Consider the structured, ritualistic and subversive strategy required to really be successful at maintaining an addiction.

“I’ll hide that bag in the closet upstairs that nobody ever goes into and remove the wood paneling on the floor…