Winning The Lotto, Every Damn Single Time

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"Lost Soul"

Written by and for people with Lived Experience - Port Alberni Community Action Team - Families Helping Families

Today’s Learning Moment – 07 12 21 Issue: Addiction – Winning The Lotto, Every Damn Single Time

What if I told you that you can win the $100 Million Lotto. That it was an absolute certainty. Have I got your attention? I mean, who couldn’t use $100 Million? Some of you are probably laughing as you read this, however, what if I’m not kidding?

Would you invest just a few minutes with me to read how I can guarantee this once in a lifetime offer? What have you got to lose? Surely five minutes of your time is worth the chance. Just think … take a minute and ask yourself what it would be like to have $100 Million in your bank account. What would you do with that kind of money? How would your life change?

I know, I know, you’re thinking just another scam. Every single one of us has experienced those scams. Everything from the King of Nigeria who wants to give us money to a sure fired cure for COVID-19. Most of us …let me emphasize a keyword in that last sentence. MOST of us get these scams and know with certainty what they are. However, the opposite also holds true. Some fall for them all the time. Well, that begs the important question we need to ask which is why do some people fall for them? What makes them different?

I have unabashedly set the hook for this article by alluding to winning the lotto. There is a very real reason for setting you up as you read this. I have struggled often over the last few years trying to get people to understand what drives people with addiction.

I’m not talking about those of you that have some appreciation of addiction or those of you who have a family member with substance use/addiction. I’m referring to the naysayers. Those that think people with addictions can just stop or that it’s a question of moral fortitude. However, you may find what I’m about to say useful when you’re out in the real world trying to garner understand around addiction.

I know you’ve heard the comments. Here are just a few, so we’re completely crystal clear on what we’re trying to change.

— “They could stop if they wanted to, it’s a choice”
— “They should just die, it would be so much simpler.”
— “Look at the problems they cause. The stealing, the mess they leave behind, destruction of property. They should all be put in jail.”

I was going to write a bunch more, but you get the idea.

Most of us who have family members with substance illness are devastated by these types of comments. Frankly, we could probably deal with them if they were just unfeeling and apathetic. However, most of the comments I hear and read cross the line into hate remarks. Deliberately suggesting that a person’s life should end because they cause problems is abhorrent, detestable and repulsive.  OK, enough of the soapbox. I’m sure you get what I’m saying.

Let's get back to the struggle I’ve been trying to come to terms with. That’s how to approach these people and give them an analogy that resonates with them so they can appreciate the struggles faced by people with addiction.

I’ve tried explaining brian chemistry. I’ve tried explaining how dopamine drives the reward centre of the brain when a person uses drugs. I’ve tried explaining people will do anything to escape past trauma or at least forget it for a few hours. I’ve tried explaining the physical dependency that Opioids, Meth and drugs like Cocaine cause. None of that really works very well.

Now I’m not naive, at least I don’t think so. There are lots of people out there that won’t change their mind no matter what you say to them. Their perceptions are their reality. Even when you give them evidence-based scientific research, their position is cemented in the War on Drugs of the 1980s. However, I’m not after those people. The people we can persuade are those that have misconceptions, yet still have an open mind. People who are willing to listen.

That brings me to the analogy of winning the lotto. It popped into my head that to gain understanding, you have to paint a picture to people that resonates with them. Tell them a story they can appreciate. Almost all of us would love to win the lotto, so most of us can relate to wanting to win the lotto.

Now you’re probably thinking that I’ve fallen off my rocker. How the heck does winning the lotto have anything to do with addiction?

I set the stage in the first three paragraphs where I described to you the absolute certainty and guarantee that you could be a $100 Million Lotto winner. You see, the idea that popped into my head was that being addicted is like being promised that you will win lotto, every single damned time that you use drugs. That’s right! You win every single time you buy and use drugs. Whatever your choice is, how every you take drugs when you feel the hit happening you have won the $100 Million Lotto.

The next time you’re talking with someone and trying to describe what drug addiction is like, tell them that taking drugs is like a guaranteed, sure-fire, and fail-safe lotto win — every single time a person with substance illness uses drugs. You absolutely can not lose. That’s the promise that drugs make to people with substance use. It lasts just as long as the high from the drug lasts and then it’s back to reality, until the next time. Then the guaranteed win is back on the table. People with addiction only see the slice in time when the certainty of their lotto win is in front of them. They don’t see the 1000 times in the past when they believed the scam nor do they see the horrible outcome for them, their family or those around them who care and love them in the future. All they ever see is the winning lotto number jackpot just before they take their next hit.

I have no idea if describing addiction in this way, will actually get the message through to people. I do think it’s worth a try or possibly you have an analogy that is even more powerful. If you do, feel free to share. If not, feel free to use this article to help in your talks with people. Those of us that advocate for people with substance use or for that matter mental health, know that stigma is perhaps the greatest obstacle to making real change in our society. It’s also the most difficult to change. Any and every tool is important in the fight to change the minds of people. My hope is this allegory comparing winning the lotto to addiction gives you one more tool to use when you’re fighting the good fight.

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Author: Ron Merk— Ron advocates for people with substance illness or mental illness.

Families Helping Families is an initiative of the Port Alberni Community Action Team. We send out “Learning Moment” articles regularly to help folks understand substance illness. Knowledge is vital in understanding the illness of our family members. You may copy, distribute or share our articles as long as you retain the attribution. You can be added to our distribution list by dropping us a note at - albernihelp@gmail.com

This article is an opinion piece. What is an opinion piece you ask? Opinion pieces rely on the personal views of the author. In the case of Learning Moment opinion piece articles, they are the result of Lived Experience.

How do opinion pieces differ from the majority of Learning Moment articles? Most Learning Moment articles will include references to legitimate evidence-based research that backs up the content of the article. You’ll know the difference because a researched article will include reference links at the end of the article.