A terrible loss today with the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. But there's something in his life that touches me personally, specifically his alcoholism, which both brings me to tears and angers me about his opponents who smear him. I ventured over to Red State this morning, as I often do to see just how they slant particular arguments. Of course they were trying to spin away and blame the Democrats for playing politics with Kennedy's death on pushing the public option. But the low blow is how ruthlessly they were in cutting down his personal life and how issues like his alcoholism has made him such a horrible individual.
It just got me thinking about alcoholism in general.
I know everyone has a personal story of either themselves or someone very close to them undergoing addiction and/or recovery. This subject touches everyone. For me personally, it's someone very close in my family who I love dearly. It's one of those diseases that, in my opinion, society shuns and puts in such a negative light.
"It's his choice to drink."
"If she wanted to get better, they could choose to do so."
"His life would be so much better if he would just stop using."
"That damn black sheep of the family could be a much better part of the family if they just stop now."
I've heard this so many times from people. Actually, sadly, I've said these words and phrases similar to them about my loved one (and actually to her). I wasn't very well educated, and I don't believe most people in our society are in regards to addiction. They simply believe that an addict could just simply "choose" to be sober and all the misery would be over.
I wish it were that simple. God I'm sure my loved one wishes it would have been that easy. It took a number of trips to Al Anon as well as going to some AA meetings myself and listening to the stories of addiction for me to even begin to understand addiction a little better. It also took me a while to realize that I was also part of the problem, and that my incessant questioning, worries and anxiety to my loved one was actually making the problem worse.
The problem of alcoholism and addiction is often a complex one, and many underlying issues (nature, nurture, etc.) can be at the root of the problem that simply cannot be simplified down to a simple decision of "choosing" to quit. I don't advocate AA or any particular form of treatment over another, but help for addiction is needed in a big way that, IMO, society continues to shun. I know Ted Kennedy got himself into trouble on a number of occasions as a result of his alcoholism, just like my loved one did. It sucks, and I know Ted regreted it just as much as any addict does. But so what? We all have demons in our closet, and it's unfortunate that for some, those demons happens to be an addiction to a drug. And it seems to me that the demon of addiction seems to be so much worse in our society than others, and I don't think that's very fair to the many good souls who suffer from it.
I'm sorry if this diary doesn't seem to have a central message to it, let alone a political one. I'm just sharing some thoughts, and I appreciate anyone who's took the time to read it.