The current
crisis we see unfolding with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is a perfect example of
denial, blame, minimization and lying in terms of addiction. I don’t know if
Ford has a crack addiction or not but from some of his actions and statements
he has made it sure seems he has an alcohol problem. I’m an alcoholic/addict
myself and can sure relate to what Ford is currently going through. For the
vast majority of alcoholic/addicts we didn’t go into recovery willingly we went
scratching, biting and screaming to the bitter end. For many people, myself
included, it takes several attempts before you have success. There are several ways
to get sober but I have found that most successful is a combination of
cognitive behavioural therapy combined with a 12 Step program.
When one is in
an active addiction he or she will say anything to minimize and deny the
problem. Last Sunday (Nov. 3) on his radio show, on Newstalk 1010, Ford
admitted he had a problem but severely minimized it by saying it was wrong to
be intoxicated in public and he would limit his drinking to his home. When I
was at the stage Ford was in I tried to hide my drinking from the people around
me by isolating and drinking in secret and/or by myself. Alcoholics Anonymous’
Big Book tells us that when we are in the midst of active alcoholism we,
“cannot differentiate the truth from the false”. This is where Ford seems to be now. In his
head everything seems to be okay if he just cuts down on his drinking and
apologizes.
“That
was pure stupidity. I shouldn’t have got hammered down at the Danforth. If
you’re going to have a couple drinks you stay home, and that’s it. You don’t
make a public spectacle of yourself.” (Ford, Nov. 3).
What Ford doesn’t realize is that it’s not the fourth,
fifth, sixth, etc. drink that causes the problem it’s the first one. The first
one sets an alcoholic off. The Big Book uses the analogy of an allergy – an
alcoholic is allergic to alcohol. Once we take that first drink we cannot stop
on our own. That is the physical aspect of the disease. We also have a mental
obsession surrounding alcohol.
Ford is even in denial of his lying. The day he
admitted to smoking crack he said he wasn’t lying when he denied smoking crack.
Ford stated, “I wasn’t lying, you didn’t ask the correct question”. When I was
active in my alcoholism and drug addiction I was lying right, left and centre
(not in a political way). I lied so much I couldn’t keep track of the lies.
Ford seems to be having similar problems.
The outcry and disappointment we are seeing from
Ford supporters is exactly what family members of alcoholics and addicts go
through on a daily basis. Addiction is a family disease and effects more than
just the person imbibing. However, it has been well established that the person
with the issue needs to come to his/her own conclusion that they cannot fix
this thing on their own and ask for help from others.
Addiction is a disease and like any disease it needs
to be treated. It’s also the only disease that tells you that you don’t have
it. If Ford had a heart attack and went for treatment in the hospital there
would not be calls for his resignation. The same should go for treating an
addiction. What Ford needs to do is step down, go to treatment to deal with his
issues and be allowed to return to work after.
Dave the Dude
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