The cost in dollars of alcoholism is almost incalculable. We have all read so many horror stories about deaths on the highway, fetal alcohol syndrome, the 88% of the incarcerated citizens who are there because they did something while under the influence, etc. that we have become numbed.
But let's focus here on the costs to the trust and integrity within a society...something some believe is more important than even money. Psychologists can actually measure trust within a society. Dr. Daniel Goleman, in his great books on emotional intelligence tells us that the technical term for the overall trust level in a society is its social capital. Social capital is the sum of the goodwill and trust among the members of a society. Social capital takes in ethical values, charitable contributions, volunteerism, and such intangibles as looking out for the welfare of your neighbors, or caring for a sick friend. Interestingly enough, the three countries that have been the most successful economically on the earth (The U.S.A., Germany, and Japan) also have the highest levels of social capital.
What is the impact of addiction on social capital? To people who attend 12-step programs such as AA, Al-Anon, Al-Atten, Nar-A-Non, or Adult Children of Alcoholics, personal honesty takes in a wide range of meaning. First, there is what everybody else calls honesty. In program parlance that is "cash register honesty." However, the sort of personal honesty involved in taking all twelve steps, or making direct amends to someone you have harmed in the past, goes well beyond what the "man on the street" calls honesty.
None of us, in our humanity, are capable of total honesty, but a great many people simply are not capable of a level of honesty as rigorous as that required by the twelve steps. Our only real choice as recovering citizens is whether we will be part of the addiction problem or part of the solution.
If you are still part of the addiction/alcoholism/codependency problem because you are actively addicted to some mind-altering substance, or if you are a codependnt who is enabling a loved-one who fits the above description, then read more on these topics in our blog, then get out there and ask for help...we all need for you to do this, because we are all paying a HUGE price for each other's addictions!
You can start by calling the AA or the Al-Anon World Service office. Al-Anon is at 1-888-4AL-ANON. This is where you can find out where and when there are meetings right in your community. It might be even easier to access the Al-Anon web site at www.al-anon.alateen.org.
Ken P.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form