Movies have had a huge role in the lessons we learn throughout life. These lessons can be applied to our friendships, relationships, work, etc. We want to take a look at some of the most iconic movies dealing with addiction and what we take away as addiction counselors.
Image via imdb.com
We start our series by watching Clean and Sober, a 1988 classic starring Michael Keaton, Kathy Baker and Morgan Freeman. Keaton plays Daryl Poynter, a hustling drug addict who gets in trouble with the law. Because of this, he checks himself into rehab and finds what he needs.
Clean and Sober is a great movie to watch with someone who needs to be convinced of the benefits of enrolling in a 12-step program. The movie shows how interwoven rotten luck and poor choices are in relatable scenarios. Below are some lessons to take away from the movie.
Drugs affect your decision making
This is a lesson that seems overstated, but Poynter’s (Keaton) decision to embezzle $92,000 from his company, even though his is a successful real estate agent, proves otherwise. Drugs don’t only impact your memory, they also impact your ability to make decisions rationally. Certainly, Poynter knew his actions were illegal and could result in stiff consequences. But the thrill of doing cocaine always lured him back. It wasn’t until he was face-to-face with the dead girl that he realized the extent of his actions.
Addiction harms more than just you
Most addict will try to justify their drug use by saying that their actions only affect them. As Daryl Poynter will tell you, addiction harms other people just as much as the user. Waking up next to the girl who overdosed on cocaine from the night before certainly showed him that.
12-step programs are tough, but valuable
When Daryl meets Richard Dirks (M. Emmet Walsh), he gains both a sponsor and coach. Both are incredibly important in the rehabilitation process. Sponsors provide stability while coaches provide motivation. Daryl had the same relationship with Charlie (Kathy Baker) as he tried to keep her away from Lenny (Luca Bercovici) so she could stay sober. There will always be tough times in rehab. If it was easy, everyone would do it. What’s important is how you respond to any adversity that comes up.
The best way to break old habits is to make new ones
This is Craig’s (Morgan Freeman) advice to Daryl while he’s going through treatment. One old habit that Daryl had to break was his denial that his life was in ruins because of the drug. He acted like he didn’t need the drug to function, but that’s only because he didn’t function. Daryl just went through the motions, really. Craig helped him to realize the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. From there, he built Daryl back up by helping him create new, healthy habits.
The process of surrender and recovery is hardly ever the subject of films because it’s too depressing. However, films like these are important in portraying the seriousness at the heart of the decision to seek treatment. Hearing pleas to seek treatment from friends and family can feel intimidating and oftentimes scares addicts away. Sometimes it takes visually seeing the repercussions of ones addiction to convince them to seek treatment.
