Maybe it’s because I am too involved in the substance abuse field that it seems like it is a monstrous problem – a leviathan of social issues.

But then when I think of the things I am involved in – David’s Courage, and our effort to open a 44-bed residential treatment center has kept me plenty busy.  But so has The Governor’s Commission for a Drug Free Indiana and my previous work with The Office of National Drug Control Policy.  I constantly see updates from organizations like The 525 Foundation or Racing for Recovery in my social feeds, and I wonder, “surely it can’t be THAT BIG of a problem.”

It is.

We just saw another superstar, this time James Hetfield of the band Metallica – perhaps one of the most successful bands in of the past 2-3 decades, re-enter rehab, once again proving that addiction knows no boundaries – regardless of your stature in life, if you struggle with finding meaning in your day, if you are subject to the despair of the existential vacuum, you leave a door for substance abuse and addiction to enter.

The answer seems so easy, in theory.  We live in what may be the most successful, yet most void of meaning and tradition, times in modern history.  Humankind has been using substances for as long as we know to alter reality, escape from the day to day, to relax, and engage in religious experiences.  Yet, substance abuse and addiction kill thousands each year.

Why?

I’m not sure.  But I think the answer lies in meaning.  It lies in the idea that we are all in this together, and the more we help one another, the more we “transcend the self to truly love our fellow man”, as Frankl’s concepts suggest, the better off we will all be.  There is no great psychology here.  It is simple – reach out and help someone this week.  If you know someone struggling with addiction, give them some time.  If your struggling, maybe reaching out and helping someone else can build connection that you didn’t even know you were missing.

Sorry if this was a bit tangential today – this substance abuse thing has really been bugging me.  Hopefully I’ve given you some insight into it.  As always, if I can be any help in your journey, whether it is with substance abuse or not, I am happy to help.

In fact, I wrote a few courses on these topics, if you are interested – you can learn more about Viktor Frankl’s ideas and The Psychology of Meaning, as well as Substance Abuse, Addiction and Recovery in my “Dr. Dan Virtual Classroom.”  – Dan