When you hear the word “addict” what do you immediately see in your mind’s eye? Some of us see images; some of you see the literal word “addict”. Think about hearing the word “cat”. Some will see a cat we’ve known, some will see a one dimensional picture of a cat, others will see the word “cat”. Some of us won’t “see” anything; it’s more visceral – we’ll feel something in our body. Is it fear, rage, confusion, shame, sadness or what? And, then, what do we think of the word “addict”? We humans are complex creatures and rarely are we one dimensional in our responses and interactions with the world. The faces of addiction cross time, culture and geography. Does anything surprise you? Bother You? Make your curious?
