Substance Abuse: Effects and Measures to Curb It Essay

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A million Little Pieces, written by James Frey is a must-read inspiring chef-d’oeuvre starring Frey, a 23-year-old drug addict. The book opens with Frey, the protagonist and narrator, waking up badly tattered inside an airplane. The memoir portrays a stark reality of a young man’s life ruled by drugs and alcohol abuse.

For instance, Frey points out how his behavior has ruined him. He says, “I can run fast when I want to run fast, and I’ve always been superb at destroying things” (80). Moreover, in the rehabilitation center, he undergoes incredible tribulations as he struggles to stop substance abuse.

Throughout the memoir, he speaks of painful experience he underwent during the rehabilitation process including the “fury” of discovering the cause of his addiction. Frey meets fascinating people in the rehab. They form cordial relationships, which play a pivotal role during and after his recovery. He meets a woman and falls in love with her, “I step forward and I hug her….There is emotion in the hug…respect and a form of love” (Frey 423).

This utterly changes his life. Frey eventually recovers from his addiction. He never relapses back to the old reprobate behaviors. However, as the paper unveils, Frey’s book is an informative piece that, not only sheds light on the fatal effects that substance abuse has, but also reveals the strategic measures that a person can employ to overcome the craving for drugs.

The idea of overcoming detrimental effects brought by substance abuse is highly captivating. This memoir has a lacerating story about drug addiction that delivers remarkable recollections leaving the reader intrigued and winded. I have personally encountered people ruined by drug addiction in my hometown in Asia. Like Frey, these people suffer the adverse effects of substance abuse. Many irreparable damages to their lives and bodies occur.

Majority end up in jails or even die in the process. This memoir of detrimental drug addiction and subsequent recovery has unique graphic scenes portraying fatal drug abuse and diverse withdrawal torments. As the narrator reckons, “In bottles and pipes, I found emptiness and pain” (Frey 230). This depicts the injurious effects derived from substance abuse. However, a good number of them often repent of their nefarious behaviors. They seek help from many rehabilitation centers in my hometown.

Frey’s idea of creating suspense, as he disseminates critical details about his life, is extremely compelling. The suspenseful writing makes the nonfiction memoir to be more intriguing and unique. The story is about Frey’s journey to overcome drug addiction. He is sober at last. Frey clearly expresses his feelings, tragedies, and regrets, all brought by addiction to drugs. In one instance, Frey says, “I know a bit about the loss of dignity.

I know that when you take a man’s dignity, there is a hole, a deep black hole filled with despair, humiliation and self-hatred, filled with emptiness, shame and disgrace, filled with loss and isolation and Hell” (156). The suspense created makes the reader want to know whether the narrator recovered from loss of dignity while living in the rehabilitation center or not.

After reading the book, I got a unique and engrossing approach towards life. The author offers advice to people addicted to drugs. Frey posits, “You have to be strong to feel anything as powerful as hatred or self-hatred…Addiction and suicide are not for the weak” (253). The story is moving and intriguing.

As I read this remarkable book, it introduces new perspectives about life. The writing used is so descriptive that it makes me feel nauseous and connected to the diverse situations expressed therein. Frey gives the whole truth concerning his experiences in the rehab. This story is quite exhilarating as it tackles reconciliation and complete recovery from drug addiction.

The book has incredible emotions that make the reader connect with the narrator. The idea of portraying much trivialization and trials, all attributable to drug addiction, is tremendously significant. The memoir about a young and energetic man and his struggle to overcome addiction to alcohol and other drugs by spending much time in rehabilitation is moving.

Moreover, Frey sustains narrative tension in his entire memoir by incorporating formal innovations that make his writing remarkable, thus, contributing to the immediacy of the book. Surprisingly, Frey grew up in a warm and loving family with moral stands. Frey conceals his behaviors from his family.

The story is griping as well as captivating, as it incorporates honesty and intimate details about the author’s personal life. The author uses detailed expressions, which make the readers feel as if they are watching his life story. Frey personifies the drug addict life taking the readers via various horrific accounts that he encountered before attending the rehab and becoming sober. This memoir incorporates diverse aspects including perspective, environment, tone, and atmospheres that make it sensational.

The paramount thing I learnt is that, even if someone’s life is heading in the wrong way, he/she can eventually make everything right provided he, or she tries. Frey talks about his journey of changing his destructive ways that led to his drug addiction. Frey is vigorous in rehab to overcome fatal cravings he possessed for alcohol and distinct drugs. Eventually, Frey can overcome drug addiction and head the right direction.

This is fabulous news after seeing how far Frey had gone in terms of drugs. This has changed my thinking in a remarkable manner. It has taught me that, in life, one needs to be vigorous while addressing substandard behaviors, which make his or her life miserable and disgusting. If we try, everything will go back to normal, thus, making us achieve our goals. Frey says, “Be smart, be strong, be proud, live honorably and with dignity, and just hold on” (195).

Therefore, the path to success is full of many obstacles. Every person interested in gaining success has to be vigorous and focused. This memoir provides a perfect inspiration for people willing to change their dastardly behaviors and put their lives on the right track. Frey was courageous and strong when tackling his problem. The story makes me reflect on my life to find out what I have done. When one feels like hitting the rock at the bottom, this is the crucial time to stay focused and determined.

Personally, I have had an experience of friends who have had strong addiction to drugs. Any attempt to curtail the drug consumption raised to these friends would face a big blow with claims that, those who do not consume the drugs do not actually know how it feels to be happy always and without paying much regard to the lifelong worries.

In this context, the whole idea of abusing drugs predominantly rests on the desire to avoid the obvious things that one ought to take care of in life. Drug addiction may prove to be a problem, which may not have cure.

However, one can deal with to yield positive results. From my experience, some good number of these friends has successfully recovered from the addictive behavior. It all starts with acceptance that one has a problem and that he/she deserves to seek professional help. From my experience, the desire to stop abusing drugs need emanate intrinsically from the victim if at all one has to avoid reverting after rehabilitation is to be avoided.

Therefore, based on the diverse expositions discussed in the paper, it suffices to declare the memoir a remarkable masterpiece that conveys useful life lessons using true encounters by the narrator. As a drug addict, Frey strives to recover from his villainous behaviors that had brought pernicious effects in his life.

As the adage goes, an obstacle is that small imaginary thing that a person sees when he/she sets his/her eyes off the goal. In other words, life has obstacles. However, one will never see or realize the barriers in life if he/she lets the best things he/she wishes to see or get occupy his/her mind: the reason why Frey wins at the end.

Works Cited

Frey, James. A Million Little Pieces. New York: Random House, 2003.

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IvyPanda. 2018. "Substance Abuse: Effects and Measures to Curb It." October 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/substance-abuse-effects-and-measures-to-curb-it/.

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