The Culture of Addiction
Core Elements in the Culture of Addiction
Supposition (Key Theme)
The culture of addiction and process of immersion into the the culture of addiction serves to
disengage the individual from society into a self-sequestered tribe of addicts.
Tribes
Seek out and build relationships with other people whose drug use or recovery mirrors their
own
Create small groups within which they can nurture the rituals of drug use or recovery
Tribes can overlap, creating a broader social network of drug users who share common goals
and attributes
Then again, tribes will also form based on particular drugs of abuse / drawing war-lines so to
speak
Drug Tribes
Celebrated (alcoholic / tobacco)
Tolerated (Marijuana)
Instrumental (prescribed drugs)
Prohibited (heroin, cocaine, club drugs)
Language
The culturally enmeshed addict experiences a transformation in language that parallels their
progression of addiction.
Language changes reflect transition into and confirmation of one’s new identity.
Language
Mastery of language confirms membership, and separates us from them
Language shift includes use of more slangs, profanity, symbolic words for drugs, folktales,
stories of hustling, euphoric recall of intoxication episodes, stories of wanting to clean-up,
but when cleaning wanting to get high)
Language (contd).
Clinical Implications
Language provides the pathway back to and away from addiction
Thus according to White (1996) Addicts must relearn how to communicate
Teach language skills / cognitive and affective
Change the addict role
Clinician must be careful of what language they use (avoid the hustle)
Religion, Morality, and Values
When an individual begins a relationship with a psychoactive drug he or she brings to that
relationship a set of pr-existing values and beliefs.
For some individuals the immersion into the culture of addiction strips former values and
beliefs apart
Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde
Religion, Morality, and Values (cont.)
Commit acts the former pre-addict personality would never dream of
Our former values become insignificant
Sometimes in the late stages the addiction that created the spiritual void may lead the addict
to surrender
This doesn’t happen to everyone
The Addict Personality in the Web of the Culture of Addiction
The Drug comes first
Everyone’s on the make
Don’t trust anyone
Don’t feel
Avoid responsibility
Every Interaction is Potential Hustle
Cultivate Excitement through Risk
Violate taboos
The Image is the Message
Cunning over Conscience
Symbols
Collection of physical trappings
Reinforce identification with the culture proclaiming identity and allegiance
Addict become oblivious of their presence and more importantly downplays excessive drug
use
Individuals may also unconsciously downplay the danger of particular symbols and symbolic
play within their culture
Symbols
Symbols and Treatment
Symbols reinforce or recall behaviour promoting drug use
This is frequently ignored in treatment
White (1996) suggests that a role for treatment is to remove symbols that
reflect addiction and replace them with symbols of recovery
Tribe Rituals
When does drug use begin?
Understanding patterns of use can help treatment providers mitigate relaspe potential
When does craving hit - around what activities
Making the addict conscious of these
Rituals and Treatment
Identify
Understand significance
Extinguish rituals / replace with healthy rituals
New meaning / purpose
History and Mythology
Tribes establish a history and folklore and pass it down
Stories include heroism, fall from grace, how to use, how not to, tribal wars, etc.
Every famous personality who is arrested, who dies, provides confirmation of addicts
participation in an elite society.
Straight cultural folklore against addiction confirms elitism
Institutions (Places)
Geographic places (tribe dependent)
Brings forth memories that bind cultures and serve as triggers
Treatment (clinician task is to root out these triggers)
Dress and Appearance
Change of dress change of 1) identity or 2) denial / hiding reality
Most often change and dress and appearance relates to to decline in self-care, hygiene and
health
Late stages of addiction - no one home to care how one appears or presents oneself
Diet and Food
Addiction
No fruits or vegetables
Junk food
Increase of fats & carbs
Barely any food at all
Music
Addiction
Songs about using, hustling, or pimping
Social distortion story - linking two unrelated events together (musical stimuli to the
experiences of intoxication
Work and Leisure
The world of work and leisure are transformed by the culture of addiction
Meaning and Value Change
One’s job is only seen as a continued access to drug supply
Job last link to mainstream sobriety
The real task of work each day - “getting by”
Elders in the culture of addiction teach how to “get by”
“Elders Teach Getting By”
Occupations and jobs roles especially suited for addicts
Learn stories to justify absenteeism and tardiness
How to use at work without getting caught
Avoiding detection to not get caught
Engineered stories of previous firing / job loss
Method of beating company’s drug testing system http://livesafely.org/personalfreedom/how-to-beat-a-urine-test/
Creative use of accidents / medical benefits / disability / WCB
Leisure Time: A Three Stage Transformation
Literature
Addiction
First-person accounts of addiction
Technical books on drugs and their effects
Law books (provide detailed information on drug control laws, one’s rights if arrested
Family
Addiction
Initially a safety net
Family distances themselves due to destructiveness
Street family adopted
Sexual Trauma
Predatory nature of the culture of addiction can further objectify and exploit
those already sexually traumatized
Clinician must determine route of treatment - concurrently or after stabilizing?
Sexual Identity
Diffuse sexual orientation
Culture of addiction accept, promote, further confuse sexual orientation
Sexual shame / guilt
How are we to treat?
What does recovering person return to ‘how’
Summary: Culture of Addiction