Connection is the opposite of addiction.

At the heart of most problems there is a lack of connection. There is deficit that needs to be restored. It is disheartening that when we see that angry or troubled child, they become "the bad kid." When we see the person without a home, we see "laziness", when we see the person struggling with an addiction, we see "an addict." When we see someone struggling with a mental health crisis, "they are crazy." What we need see is that there has been a breakdown in connection. Yes, maybe there is a biochemical component to all of this, but that does not change the treatment modality. Connection, support, understanding. Just as anything else that frustrates us or that we don't understand, it can be our first response to judge, or label it. But I believe at the heart of most people that there is an underlying sadness or fear that comes out as anger, frustration, and judgement. We need to practice seeing that the only way to help, fix, improve, is to lean into it, not away from it. We need to start connecting more deeply with ourselves and with the world around us. Connection is a basic human need and we need to start recognizing that.