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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Shrink with Kevin Spacey

BACK FROM UPAID SABBATICAL
It's been too long since writing here. Addictshuns is not forgotten!

Last night I watched a movie called Shrink. Here's the Netflix synopsis:
In the wake of personal tragedy, Hollywood's psychiatrist to the stars (Kevin Spacey) devolves into a slovenly pothead and worries he's become incapable of helping his patients in a sharp indie drama from the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
My interest in both addiction and psychology the core reason for this movie selection. I am not sure why I finished it. The FBomb exploded through the entire dialogue which is both annoying and offensive when overused in movies. Would that screenwriters wrote intelligent script without so many expletives.

My curiosity was about all these people entrenched in the clutch of drug & alcohol abuse, aimless parties, and sexual quirks to cover their pain and emptiness. This movie showed addiction at it's finest. The main characters all show up to the shrinks office for moral guidance and direction who is himself spiraling out of control with excessive pot smoking and alcohol. Did he really think patients and people around him couldn't smell it or notice red eyes? In spite of his smokey fog, he gave moralistic advice of of worthy note. He stood for the sanctity and commitment of marriage and didn't give permission for the sexual addicts desire for promiscuity.

Only two characters in the entire cast showed virtuous character, strong morally and without the influence of drugs. A young girl struggling with the suicide of her mother, and the wife of an addicted rock star. A third questionable one is a pregnant assistant carrying her sister's baby. Questionable due to the scene where she asks her new boyfriend to have sex with her in the car with a wanna be writer. Sort of creepy don't you think? Anyway, the boyfriend writer had enough sense to stop it and question the act of sex with a pregnant women.

While celebrity life style glamorizes wild and raucous living, the consequence of these choices were obvious through out the movie. The slice of life in Hollywood shows abuse of drugs and alcohol begets   suicide, personality disorders which begets lives reeling without restraint. It's an accurate description of Hollywood, and the greatest influence on culture in America today. This movies plays it out well.

In the end the shrink gains his moral compass, deals with his hurt, guilt and pain and quits his vices. The light in his life during his devolution is a little girl whose mother committed suicide. She called him out in his addiction several times. They had the same secret wounds, as he struggled to reach her, he may have found himself. His drug vendor with neatly labeled and encased varieties of pot sold him weed called Christmas in Viet Nam. They both smoked it not knowing it was laced with embalming fluids, ending up in the ER. The woman actress found him near dead. She is another light in his life.

The one interesting scene is the failed intervention put together from friends and family who care and want relief from his addiction. He turned it all back on them, explaining his pain. What he wanted was absolution from a hidden pain and guild in his soul. That is something they didn't see. Reflective of a culture in denial and a blinding reaction to fix external problems while ignoring the real true source. As in every case of addiction, and in this movie there is no remedy. Unless the source of the wounding life episode is brought to light, with a lie exposed until the truth is applied can one find redemption in their life. In the end, the Shrink heals his wounds and rebuilds his life.

The consequence in abusive use of drugs and alcohol is a cry for help as well a slow and often sudden death. Just read the list of the 27 CLUB. Few on this path of destruction ever survive or taste anything good in this life. Finding the reason, hidden wounds and lies believed is the only way to freedom.

Those who love the addict often see just the symptoms, rarely seeing or inviting the reasons. We clip at the surface trying to fix and change when only the addict themselves can take the first step with total transparency. For me, prayer and love covers those broken hearts until at last they are free to unburden their pain.

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Saturday, April 9, 2011

20 Secret Signs of Addiction

20 Secret Signs of Addiction

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