In his TED talk, Johann Hari discusses is the topic of addiction and how it is often misunderstood in the daily lives of people. While it is generally believed that addiction is caused by physical reliance on a particular substance, the man says that due to a variety of reasons, this assertion is not true. Drug addiction and the problems related to it are much more a product of people’s environment, their surroundings, and the lives they lead. The ability of a person to live within a thriving environment and find a company is extremely crucial to not developing an addiction or recovering from one. In the man’s eyes, a real response to addiction is not sobriety but the connection to other people. The notion of the collection as being important to treating addiction or counteracting it entirely rests on the important positive social interaction plays in the lives of any individual. In my opinion, Johann’s assessment is entirely correct, as the ability of people to interact with each other, talk, and make connections is much more important than one might think initially. Only by creating positive relationships with other people, working as a community at facilitating the right kinds of behavior, and disincentivizing drug use, we can collectively reduce the severity of the problem without resorting to punishment or restriction. Social conditions of a person determine their ability and likelihood of being addicted to harmful substances, change therefore lies in mending these conditions and making them the most suitable for human wellbeing and prosperity.
Drug use can be understood as a way for people to escape their current life conditions and feel better without making any changes to their lifestyle or circumstances. By stimulating the pleasure nerves in the brain and losing a sense of reality, one can for a short while enjoy an ability to not be in a distressing environment or make an otherwise harsh life a little bit more bearable (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021). This effect of drugs is the main reason they’re often abused by poor people, who might not have the ability to gain money or support from others around them and have to rely on temporary solutions to live on. In this case, drug use can be either the result of extreme hardship or social isolation that does not allow people to feel connected to others and leaves them to solve their problems by themselves. Human beings as social creatures crave contact, crave the ability to relate to others. It is one of the main sources of dopamine, and other pleasure hormones, which are essential for a person to feel joy in their life (Smith, 2017). Without the ability to connect with others, however, people’s brain functions and social skills deteriorate, making them more likely to engage in self-destructive behaviors and act to their detriment (The risks of social isolation). If speaking about recovery from addiction, the human company is also extremely important. A large support network of people that love you, wish you the best, and support you in your heart times is what can give people the strength to overcome their problems, find either urge to improve or the ability to take first steps towards the road of becoming better (Kaufman & M., 2005). Human connection is the core need of any person, especially if they are the trick is self-destructive tendencies and cannot further improve their living conditions. That is why drug addiction needs to be destigmatized and better accepted as something in need of social support (Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change 2016). Ostracizing vulnerable groups from society and denying them the help they need in a situation like that is extremely dangerous and cannot lead to two good outcomes for treating addiction.
References
National Academies Press. (2016). Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change.
Kaufman, E., & M., Y. M. R. (2005). Substance abuse treatment and family therapy. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). The risks of social isolation. Monitor on Psychology. Web.
Smith, N. (2017). Oxytocin and Dopamine: The Rewards of Socializing. Naturopathic Doctor News and Review. Web.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). The Science of Drug Use: A Resource for the Justice Sector. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Web.