Ask any alcoholic or addict in recovery about the time they convinced them self and usually a prescription-writing doctor of a mental affliction. Most will fess up. Severe depression, bipolar disorders, chemical imbalances and even dissociative disorders are diagnoses that often follow the stellar acting performance of those of us so desperate to have something “more” than just an unsophisticated addiction.
Yes there are those that truly suffer from these disorders, but before anyone breaks out the staff of righteous anger and tries to smack me let me assure the theatric mental disorder routine is standard of procedure for the alky/addict. Take it from me, most of the symptoms are real anyway… it’s the fact we are drinking a half gallon of vodka daily and have the sleep/dietary patterns of a vampire bat that are conveniently left out of the equation.
Speaking of bats, there is some new info coming out on Heath Ledger’s behavior during the filming of the newest Batman, The Dark Knight. Apparently Ledger was exhibiting some of the warning signs of a problem while the movie was shooting about 2 years ago.
Click “Read more” to continue…
According to an on-set source, Ledger was advised to seek professional help for his personal problems, but turned to the Joker role to mask his psychological woes… "He would often come to the set to hang out even on his days off in character, freaking everyone out," the source continued. "Toward the end of filming, he was warned by people that he’d gone too far, but it was almost like he couldn't connect with those who cared for him anymore." ~ Fox News
Now I am not going to pass judgment here one way or another, but I would definitely think that immersing oneself in the role of psychopath would offer almost the same strange refuge as those of us who have feigned mental trouble to mask our addictions. In fact, I think this would be simply irresistible to the skewed mind of an addict.
Almost all addicts and alcoholics have a phase before total dysfunction where we can be very effective actors, it may just so happen that Mr. Ledger was not so much playing the role of the Joker as he was just being a junky.
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I've been "around" the program since '90 and I don't think I've ever met or even heard of a drunk/addict, other than myself, blaming their drinking on a mental illness. Now I've heard us blame it on everything else, from the "stars in their courses" to mama to the government. Addiction is somewhat socially acceptable, even chic. (Stevie Ray Vaughn, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, half the "A list" actors.) Other mental illnesses, save possibly bipolar, just ain't. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying my experience differs from yours.
It's pretty clear to me, at least if the blogosphere is at all representative of the overall population, that many, probably most, severely mentally ill people abuse substances. At some point they are dealing with two distinct problems. To my way of thinking that one perhaps brought on the other is irrelevant. Bottom line, the remedy for the alcoholic/addict is not to drink and drug. The 12-steps seem to be what works best for most, at least I believe that. I also believe there's probably almost no reliable data to back up that belief. Additionally, and to the consternation of many 12-step gurus, the steps won't work on depression, PTSD, bipolar, etc. Aren't supposed to. Weren't designed to. Lastly, IMHO and own experience, the dually diagnosed have almost no chance of dealing with any underlying issue until their addiction is in remission.
Interrelated problems with different remedies is what some of us have to live with. Sadly, if the addiction is glaring enough, as mine is, most folks can't see/hear that it's working in concert with another mental health problem. I've suffered from depression my entire adult life but it took nearly 20 years, and nearly 5 years of continuous sobriety, before anybody saw anything in me other than a dry drunk.
I am not saying that recovering alcoholics and addicts blame their disease on mental illness, but rather while they are actively drinking and drugging they would rather think of themselves as disturbed instead of just having an addiction. (ploy to get drugs is bonus)
You might say I'm a little defensive on what I thought was the subject.
Yes then. Nothing goes with a pint of Vodka quite like 40 mg of Valium. And even at my soberest I relish a trip to the doc or dentist that holds the possibility of a Lortab script. I absolutely have to turn those things over to a trusted party to be dispensed as indicated or I'll take them all in a couple of days. Wasn't always that way. Says something about progression I guess.
i find both of your blogs very interesting to say the least...they seem to be two sides of the same coin, with essentially differences in the causality for taking the drugs...i'm still curious on what''s the dominating factor for using drugs in the first place....i personally have never used heavy drugs, so I don't know what reasons behind it myself, however I do smoke and drink, and I believe in my case, both substances were a result of more or less a social factor, a peer pressure thing, not so much family dysfunction or harsh environment..etc
i guess i percieved it as cool/rebelious/manly at the time of a relatively young age...and learned to enjoy it as I grew up...even though i hated cigarettes the first time...but it grows on you....quickly.
That being said, my environment percieves both substances are somewhat "socially acceptable"..something that i understand as "Okay" to do in public..."Legal"
but other drugs...class A drugs...those are seen, atleast by the majority as the opposite of the aforementioned....so what drives people to use it? is it the desire to break the law...the lack of happiness, and the desire to artificially induce this feeling, while simultaneously diminishing your life span..so as to leave on a high note...what is it exactly?
including the cultural and societal glamorization of drugs and alcohol, advertising, media, and a host of other reasons.
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