Hollywood and society in general tend to romanticize drinking and drug use. Somehow if you’re drinking, you’re likely having a good time. Or if you’re regularly snorting lines of cocaine, then you probably have plenty of money to spend. Or your life is exotic and you spend time with those who live wildly. Often, the movies and television seem to portray drug use and drinking as something only the rich, exotic, and wild do.
And yet, even outside of movies, many people associate drinking and drug use with a fun and exciting time in their lives. They make the connection that in order to have a good time or in order to feel good about life, they need to use substances.
However, this must obviously come to an end if a person is preparing to get sober. Although it can be challenging, resisting the glamour of drinking and drug use can facilitate long term sobriety and healthy living.
Two Parts to Dropping the Glamour of Substance Use
- Letting go of society’s ideas of what’s fun and exciting. Ignore the values that society holds. What society holds up on a pedestal influences our choices, and drinking and drugging is one of them. If you can break away from the idealization of drugs and alcohol and instead focus on what is best for you, drug and alcohol treatment will be more effective.
- Letting go of your own ideas of what’s fun and exciting. Although you might have had experiences with substances that brought more fun into your life, there are other ways to have fulfilling and meaningful experiences.
By Resisting the Glamour You Are Gaining Health and Happiness
By making the choice to resist the glamour of drinking, you choose sobriety. By ignoring the judgments and acceptances of society, you choose health. By participating in drug and alcohol treatment, you’re not only supporting yourself but others who might have been in the community you were a part of. You’re leading by example.
But if you were in this kind of community, pulling away might have been a challenge. Research has shown that the glamour of drinking and drug use is actually one of the obstacles to getting into drug and alcohol treatment. Even when individuals are in treatment, it can be the trigger for relapse.
Those who are still identified with the glamour of drinking can more frequently relapse. If someone simply doesn’t seem themselves as living without drugs or alcohol, drug and alcohol treatment is likely not going to be effective.
If you’re in recovery and you find yourself still holding onto the idea that you need drugs and alcohol to have fun, begin to look for ways to find excitement in other ways. For instance, you might learn to play music. Get creative. Start writing. Or if you have the money, do some traveling. These are experiences that can be both healing and rewarding.
However, if you’re not yet in recovery, talk to a mental health provider for support
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