What does addiction and a militant West Germany terrorist group, active during the 70’s, have in common?
What Is Addiction?
No, this is not the start of a joke with a witty punchline, it actually describes the catalyst for the founding Asurgent Health. I and I suspect the majority of people, are rarely exposed to the ugly world of addiction and the havoc it wreaks on its victims and their families. Sure, Nancy Regan ensured that every time we use a public restroom, we are reminded to refuse drugs, and every commercial ends with the obligatory Drink Responsibly. Between Narcos and The Wire we are fully educated of how drugs are grown, processed, imported and distributed. The music industry keeps us updated on the coolest names for marijuana and it seems like every month brings a new alcoholic beverage with a celebrity named slapped on the bottle. So yes, drugs and alcohol are everywhere, but addiction? That’s only for the criminals and the weak-minded people that lack the self-control to use in moderation and responsibly.
“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves.”
MAHAMTA GHANDI
Not A Moral Failing
Anyone that has had the misfortune of being exposed to this terrible disease understands that the stigma and stereotypes traditionally associated with addiction couldn’t be further from the truth. I am not qualified to give an opinion about exactly what the definition of addiction is or what causes chemical dependency, but one thing I can say equivocally it is not due to a lack of mental fortitude or societal circumstances it affects every race, demographic and age group, and it is rampant.
LEARNING FROM FAILURE
Which brings us back to the terrorist group from West Germany, have you ever noticed that when you buy a new car you all of the sudden start noticing every dealer plate on passing cars and are surprised by how many newly purchased cars there are? Or after learning a new word, you start noticing it everywhere? There is actually a name for this, the Bader-Meinhoff Phenomenon (there are also more clinical (read: boring) names for it like frequency illusion or recency illusion), it got its name on an online messenger board in 1994 when a commentator heard the name of the obscure group twice in a twenty-four hour period. I experienced this with addiction and recovery, once I was involved, I started noticing it everywhere, billboards, radio, TV ads, and more personally people. Until then I would struggle naming one person I knew that was suffering from addiction, unfortunately, that was not due to my friends, family, and co-workers being extremely lucky to avoid this disease, rather it was my ignorance.
The Reward System
Bader-Meinhoff obviously doesn’t cause the increase in the encounters with the new concept, it is just that we are now hypersensitive to that particular idea and will notice it, when before we subconsciously ignored it. This can be a powerful tool when trying to fight against addiction, it seems to be an issue avoid facing and talking about, it is our job in the recovery community to raise awareness so that people suffering can seek the help they need and others can be better educated about prevention measures (such us avoiding mind-altering substances at a young age).
The powerful force of humanity
It is with this in my that Asurgent Health was founded to provide the highest level of care, in a caring and safe setting. We are a group of people deeply entrenched in the Cleveland recovery scene and understand the various communities and their specific needs. We pride ourselves in being truly judgmental free and treat each person at their own particular pace.
We look forward to servicing the community in any way that we can.
Sincerely,
Aaron Fergusson
