A Cold, Hard Truth about Addiction

When I first conceived of Nolan’s story, the idea of him being a
former addict felt RIGHT. 

After all, for someone in his position–from elite soldier to
paraplegic in the space of a heartbeat–it wasn’t hard to imagine wanting to
lose himself in drugs. 

To forget about his problems, even if just for a few hours, no
matter what.

In real life, substance abuse is a very common problem for active
and retired military personnel.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says:

– Rates of binge drinking among active military are high compared
to the general population

– Once active duty personnel leave the military, some
protective influences are gone, and substance use and other mental health issues
become of greater concern.

– More than one in ten veterans have been diagnosed with a
substance use disorder.

– Illicit drug use among active duty service members is fairly
low, but reported rates increase when active duty personnel leave military
service.

– One government report notes that more than ten percent of
veteran admissions to substance use treatment centers were for heroin (10.7%),
followed by cocaine at just over 6%.

This issue was something I realized I wanted to shine a
light on–both through his journey in Kill Order, and in his continued
struggles (and that of a character you will meet in Cerberus: Assassination
Protocol) with drugs.

Then I ran into this interesting article on Psychology Today
about Addiction in Fiction.

Specifically, how so many authors GET IT WRONG…

The article explains, “Most people think that addictive acts,
especially using drugs, are intended to dull, mask, or run away from painful
feelings. This idea is a major reason that people suffering with addictive
behavior have been believed to be weak, weak-willed, or even cowardly. Nothing
could be farther from the truth.”

“‘Like every other psychological symptom, addictive actions
are the result of a complex function of the mind. They occur when people feel
overwhelmingly helpless. Taking an action (the addictive act) reverses the
feeling of helplessness, and is powerfully driven by the (normal) rage that
always occurs in response to feeling overwhelmingly helpless. In addiction,
however, this action is not expressed directly but in a displaced way: taking a
drug, gambling, eating, and so on. And because the action is driven by this
normal rage (at helplessness), it is emotionally compelled: The rage becomes a
powerful urge to repeat the behavior.”

What a fascinating concept!

The article goes on to say, “Remember that the physical
aspect of drug addictions is easily treatable and not the reason for continued
repetition of the behavior, even after detoxification. Since it is an active
effort to reverse helplessness, the idea that it is simply a way to
“dull” pain is basically backwards.”

NOW I KNOW THE TRUTH!

My research into drug (and alcohol) addiction led me to a lot of
places, but this article puts things into a new perspective. 

Simply put: it’s a way of taking power and control in a situation
where someone feels helpless and powerless.

Granted, that’s not always the case. But re-framing Nolan’s
mindset and his reasons for taking drugs in the first place (in my mind, not in
the story) helps me to have a better understanding of who he is as a person,
and makes me better able to write him accurately. 

I hope that you find a better understanding of others through our
journey of discovering Nolan’s truths together!

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