Theme Of Addiction In A Million Little Pieces

Programs that aid in the recovery of family members of addicts are also very different from those that help with domestic violence. The 12-step program worked by family members in Al-Anon is almost identical to those worked by alcoholics in AA, including acknowledging the fact that they are “powerless over alcohol,” placing a reliance on a higher power to “restore [them] to sanity,” (Al-Anon, 2008; p.44). This approach can make a person who has been abused feel even less in control of their life. This idea also serves to further reinforce the excuse of substance use that might be made by their abuser.

Addiction can come in many different forms but they all change the environment around the addict. In The Shining, Danny, a five year-old boy has an imaginary friend named Tony. Although both his parents, Wendy (mom) and Jack (dad), have knowledge of this friend, it isn’t until chapter 17 that they realize Danny could seriously be mentally disabled or disoriented. Jack can be described as four things: alcoholic, a playwright, high tempered, and abusive. He has only touched Danny once but that day would change Danny forever, and Danny would never mess around in his office again.

The 12-step program used by Alcoholics Anonymous is a well-known treatment method that’s used for many types of addiction, not just alcohol. Alcoholics are encouraged to “work” the 12-steps. The first step involves admitting the powerlessness over alcohol. The second step has the alcoholic believe that there is some type of a greater power working that will help aide the alcoholic to reach sobriety, as well as maintain is once reached. This step is an example of the religious influence on the 12-step recovery process.

Requiem for a Dream depicts four individuals and their addictions to cocaine, heroin, and diet pills. Set in Brooklyn, New York, the characters each have their own dreams and addictions and their drugs are easily attainable trapping them in a cycle of dependence. The central character, Harry Goldfarb, is a young man who lives in virtual poverty because every cent he earns or steals goes toward his next high. He dreams of making a big enough score selling dope that will lead him to becoming financially stable and "on Easy Street" as he makes a home with his girlfriend. Tyrone, his best friend and business partner shares many of Harry's aspirations and addictions. Marion Jones, Harry's girlfriend, is an addict like her boyfriend and dreams

Substance abuse providers that believe spirituality and religion is one in the same, may hold the belief that an individual that is an atheist or agnostic will not have the opportunity to acquire spiritual opportunities when participating in alcohol and addiction programs (Sussman et al., 2013). In addition, these substance abuse providers may believe that when an individual that eliminates alcohol and drug abuse without the intervention of spiritual assistance, such as a Higher Power, they may believe that the individual will not have the capability to achieve and maintain balance within their sobriety and recovery. Sussman et al. (2013) suggests that these substance abuse providers unknowingly engage in a thought process that includes stereotypes. Suggesting that individuals, who engage in spiritual behaviors that do include a Higher Power, are more deserving of achieving sobriety and recovery because they are practicing by being involved with working the 12-step program, thus, making them more righteous in obtaining a blessing from their Higher Power. Noteworthy, the term spirituality is often linked with religion with no specific boundaries out of lack of knowledge. Engaging in a spiritual practice that allows an individual to have a spiritual solution that is higher than them and gives them hope has a significant influence on alcohol and drug abuse. Gedge and Querney (2014) describe discussing spirituality with

“Gambling addiction, particularly is easy to start; it requires no elaborate or illegal activities, no troublesome ingestion of substances, and it programs the body using its own chemicals” (Brodak 302). Molly Brodak the daughter of Joseph and the author of “Bandit” speaks up about growing up with a father who is addicted to gambling. Molly, her sister, and mother struggle to overcome the challenges that come along with having a man in their life who loses everything for them. Not only does this gambling addiction that Joseph suffers from harm his life financially but also emotionally.

The word addiction has a strong, negative connotation and defined as the states of being enslaved to a habit or action. In the novel, The Glass Castle, Rex is addicted to alcohol. He is dependent on alcohol, constantly craving it and spend money on it despite the family’s financial situation.The text describes him, on many occasions, making his way down to the Green Lantern, the bar, with a drink already in his hand. Rex also takes money from the family to buy booze instead allowing the children to spend it on food to eat. For example, he would always demand for a part of Rosemary’s paycheck, refusing to take “no” as an answer. Additionally, Maureen is addicted to alcohol as well as smoking. Just like Rex, her actions suggest that she abuses

outburst of drinking turns into an awful days on end addiction as he begins spiraling out of control, taking his family with him. Rex’s addiction causes his family to face problems that would have never happened if he would just stay sober. Shortly after arriving in Welch, The Walls kids try to improve their horrible living situation and begin the foundation for the Glass Castle, but per usual their addict father disrupted their only hope for a normal life. After they began the construction, the memoir states that “(We) spent just about every free minute digging a hole… it was hard work but after a month we'd dug deep enough... since we couldn't afford to pay the town's

Of Mice and Men, a fictional book, written by John Steinbeck, is about two migrant farm workers named George Milton and Lennie Small. George had a small built but he was quick to think, Lennie was big, but he didn’t know his capability or how strong he was. He was also mental in the head. George dreams of having a piece of land where he can start a farm on it, Lennie’s dream was to have an abundance of rabbit where he can tend. Lennie has an addiction where he has to touch something soft, like a puppy, a dress, and a mouse. This is problematic because he grabbed a girl’s dress and wouldn’t let go which lead them to being chased out of Weed Town. After they got chased out of Weed Town they fled to a ranch in Salinas Valley far away

Addiction is a disease that I will battle for the rest of my life. After being sexually assaulted at the age of twelve, I started to self-destruct. Lack of parental support, less than pristine living conditions, and an addictive personality paved an expressway to a life of addiction. I chose to hang with undesirable people, and was introduced to Marijuana, LSD, Ecstasy, PCP, Cocaine, Heroin and eventually what became the love of my life, the prescription painkiller Morphine. Never did I think that trying pot would have a domino effect. It led me to try harder and more addictive substances ultimately turning my life upside down. Often publicly

Everything Must Go is a film about an alcoholic, Nick Hasley, who has recently lost his job, wife, car, and dealing with all his possessions in his front lawn. Throughout the movie, Nick, displays an addiction to alcohol as he copes with the loss of his possessions. Through support of acquaintances, Nick is able to let go of his life and addiction to begin a new one.

The world is full of people striving to be the best they can be. When one finds themselves far from the social idea of “perfect” there is a strong need to improve. While self-improvement is hard, it is also a necessary part of life, setting goals for how one wants their life to turn out. Addiction is a huge obstacle in the way of perfection it can destroy lives when the person with the addiction does not want to change. In the memoir A Million Little Pieces the writer and main character, James Frey, leads a drug addicted life that he turns around in a Minnesota rehab center, demonstrating that self-improvement is the way to salvation. This

I find my seat in aisle B, on the plane heading away from you. The cabin is hot and sweaty and crowded, and I suddenly feel claustrophobic, as if the white walls have closed around me like a coffin. I sink down into my narrow chair and gaze out the oblong plane window. Goodbye New York, city of dreams; it’s back to Leith, city of cruel realities, for me. Alone, but what did I expect? That you’d come with me, back to that shitehole? Nae, but when I’m here in this city with you I’m driven to the sick delusion of a junky: that I could stay in this high with you forever. I’m itching for a fag, or something stronger, to ease my parting sorrows, but we havenae even reached altitude, and there’s these sign’s on the cabin walls which loudly and accusatorily remind me of my promises. “No smoking” they seem to plead in your voice. It’ll be a long flight if I keep hearing your voice in my head. These are the effects of withdrawal after a long, sweet hit of you. Worse than the purest smack, you are for me, and I had only replaced drug addiction with my addiction to you.

Another jazz musician, Billie Holiday, has a story of addiction very similar to Charlie Parkers. After the death of her mother in 1945, she began drinking heavily which then escalated to drug use to ease her grief. She used heroin frequently for more than 10 years and it was most likely responsible for her death in 1959. Holiday was arrested numerous times for heroin possession and at one time was sentenced to 8 months in prison because of this. At one point she was admitted to the hospital for heart and liver problems and while there, she was arrested again for possession of heroin. While she was in the hospital receiving treatment for her failing kidney, she passed away due to a result of drug and alcohol abuse.

Historically, faith-based organisations (FBOs) have been a longstanding presence in the areas of drug treatment and remain significant providers in the sector in the UK, especially in the areas of residential treatment – filling a niche as therapeutic communities fell out of favour in the 1980s and many secular services ventured into areas of drug user activism, harm-reduction and treatment in the community (Yates, 2003). Rather than speaking generally about a 'faith-based service sector' in drug treatment, it is better to recognise the inherent diversity in terms of organisational ethics of care (conversion-oriented versus “without strings” service), programme