Art Can Save Drunks and Addicts

I always feel a bit hesitant when it comes to claiming that addicts are somehow fundamentally different from the people around them, but it does seem to be that way. Maybe it is just that certain personalities are more drawn to addiction. One thing that I've noticed about us addicts is that we seem to be extremely sensitive people. In fact I believe that this sensitivity is what drives many of us to addiction in the first place. We feel too much so we want to numb ourselves to these feelings.

I feel embarrassed to admit it, but I was an extremely sensitive child. In some ways I'm the exact same way today. Music and words can profoundly affect my mood, and my feelings can be touched so much that it can feel a bit unbearable. Growing up I always seemed to be on the verge of tears and this just wasn't the way for a boy to behave in Dublin. On the other hand my over enthusiasm about things could drive people crazy; I would hear a song and it would become my world for a short while or the latest book would turn into a sort of obsession. When drink came along it was great because it took the edges off these emotional highs and lows.

Sobriety brings all of these emotions back again and they can be just as strong as they once were. Instead of this being something that I run away from it now feels like the greatest gift of being sober. To feel is be alive, and the more you feel the more alive you are. Instead of being a liability these feelings are my greatest assets. I have found that this is what art is for; if you find something you like to do then you can challenge these feelings in that direction. Out of this comes unbelievable satisfaction.

The Thai temple where I became sober believes that making music has great healing power for addicts. I would go a stage further and say that any art form can give an addict meaning and help them escape addiction. Once we have a way to express our feelings then we are less likely to want to numb them. Of course none of this is possible until the addict gets sober or clean first. I am not claiming here that all addicts and drunks are going to become great artists when they get clean. I am just saying that the ability to express their often intense feeling in a positive fashion will greatly benefit them and provide them with a satisfaction they have never previously known.