Re: Alli M. Graham letter July 31, All support programs that try to help people heal addictions will fail because the addict “lacks the intestinal fortitude or plain guts to do the major battle of fighting back to sane thinking.”
All these support programs have their “victories” – many people recover from their illnesses. Suggesting that all those people fail is doing a disservice to the caring, helpful workers and the courage it took for their clients to follow a different path.
Addictions, by definition, institute physical, mental and emotional changes in the host so that the addiction must continue – the monumental will necessary to make permanent changes under these conditions must be supported. Supporting change – isn’t that what education, counselling and parenting are all about?
Whether you are addicted to alcohol, nicotine, food or anything else that controls you… if you see that you need to make a change, who will be knowledgeable enough and have the resources to allow you the time for you to ask yourself the right questions so you can come up with the answers that work for you?
Are we then not going to offer any help to people with any mental health issues? If someone is drowning and asks for help and I throw him a lifeline, it is certainly up to him to hold on to the rope but hopefully (without hope, will is worthless), I will be able to convince him to hold on, tow him to shore and have enough time to teach him how to swim.
We will always need a supply of rope and to provide swimming lessons.
Or else, we freely admit that these people are worthless because they can’t control themselves and they are better off dead or on the streets. I’m not sure that is sane thinking.
E.J. Chatelain
