Addiction is American’s Problem! Ain’t Going Away Anytime Soon

AUDIO – IT FEELS SO GOOD –

Aug. 15, 2024 – Aside from the excruciating physical and psychological pain of withdrawal – your bones feeling as though they’re being crushed from within, your whole body gripped by an anxiety that leaves you breathless and trembling, unbreakable insomnia and nausea – we fail to acknowledge that at the center of every addictive behavior is a hurt. For some, an abuse or trauma and for others, a painful experience that may remain unseen to the conscious mind.

We live in a culture so out of touch with our human needs. It’s no coincidence that this rise in addiction comes at the prime of late-stage capitalism. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of the few, while the rest of us drown in student loans and medical debt. Jobs that once offered stability and a pathway to the middle class are increasingly scarce. Productivity continues to rise, yet wages remain stagnant in comparison to the corporate greed driving up the cost of living. The relentless engine of consumption bombards us with messages about how we can “fix” and “optimize” every corner of our existence.

The pressures and contradictions of late-stage capitalism drive us to disconnect from our own bodies, filling the void with work, overconsumption and substance use. Our society rewards this disconnection. It fuels the fragmentation and alienation of ourselves and our communities.