Thursday, June 16, 2011

Japanese Do Not Become Addicts


I went to an excellent speaker meeting last night and took my daughter with me.  The speaker was a Japanese woman whose parents insisted until their death that the Japanese do not become addicts.  I first heard her many years ago and I will always remember and connect to a part in her story where she is in the last days of her addiction and her boyfriend has an extension cord around her neck trying to strangle her, and her only thought was "either kill me or give me another hit because it's all the same."

One addict sharing with another can create moments of perfect clarity into their own thinking.  We start to actually feel the truth in our gut.  We start to hear the way our own brain spins it's skewed perceptions.  Doctors and loving family members keep trying analyze our reasons why and heap on us volumes of information that in all honesty just does not compute. 

I am so grateful for other addicts that keep coming back and allow me to hear how it was and is with them so that I don't have to feel so alone in this world with my messed up thinking.

5 comments:

Mary Christine said...

I thought that said "Japanese don't become adults" for a minute. Relieved to hear they don't become addicts. Just kidding!

dAAve said...

I bet AA is widespread in Japan.

It's really wonderful having you and MC posting again.

Anonymous said...

That one is right up there with people thinking that individuals from a 'good family' can't fall prey to addiction.

Syd said...

I remember hearing lots of stereotypic comments about others but not about addiction. I don't think that it discriminates by much of anything.

Let Go, Let God said...

It's the therapeutic value of one addict helping another. These are MY people. This is who I listen to because they know.