Any form of addiction is a major issue with serious health and financial ramifications. The poems The Addict by Anne Sexton, Habitual by Nate Marshall, and Philip Seymour Hoffman by Nick Flynn, address the issue from the psychological perspective as an inner struggle within a person. Therefore, these writings cover the addiction problem from the perspective of an addict and how he or she relates to drugs.
Philip Seymour Hoffman by Nick Flynn addresses the fact that addiction never fades away and continues to haunt even those who stopped doing drugs. The author writes: “Half my brain told me that, while the other half knew that looking into that box was akin to seeing a photograph of myself standing on the edge of a bridge, a bridge in the familiar dark neighborhood of my mind, that comfortable place where I could somehow believe that fuck it was an adequate response to life” (Flynn, 2015, para. 1). In other words, there is an inner struggle within an ex-addict, where he or she realizes the danger of the drugs. However, there is always another voice telling him or her to abandon all the principles and become an addict once again. The line shows that regardless of understanding the potential dangers of addiction, the voice is trying to convince the victim to accept the ramifications and still indulge in this activity.
The Addict by Anne Sexton is an excellent piece of literature that shows how an addict thinks about his or her addiction. The author honestly describes her relationship with pills and slightly glorifies them despite realizing their harm. She writes: “The pills are a mother, but better, every color and as good as sour balls. I’m on a diet from death” (Sexton, n.d., para. 2). In other words, she admits that an addict is in a dangerous position, but the author also pinpoints the overall importance of drugs. The latter statement is supported by the fact that Anne compares them with the mother figure.
Habitual by Nate Marshall uses a different one from the previous poem, where the author does not glorify the problem. However, he admits that it is a vicious cycle and an inescapable habit. He writes: “Like an addict might. Stop? Not an option. I be getting mine. Been getting over. Been over this but be caught in a cycle” (Marshall, 2018, para. 3). Nate shows that an addict understands that he or she has a problem and admits that the issue persists, but the victim still will not stop. This cyclical nature of the habit is the main point of the writing. Therefore, all poems address the psychological aspect of the problem, which is an inner struggle of an addict. However, Anne mostly glorifies the pills and admits their dangers, whereas Nate accepts the cyclical nature of the habit. Nick takes a different approach, where he uses an ex-addict and illustrates how addiction is still haunting the victim.
In conclusion, the poems represent the addiction from an addict’s perspective as an inner struggle within an individual. Therefore, they address the problem’s psychological aspect, which can be observed throughout the lines. Although they have some stylistic and literary differences, the general approach towards the issue is similar. In other words, the authors are trying to show the type of mental challenges occurring in an addict’s mind.
References
Flynn, N. (2015). Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Marshall, N. (2018). Habitual.
Sexton, A. (n.d.). The addict.