My personal experience is that technology has made some tasks easier and employers have expected more and more productivity from their employees because of it. The unrealistic performance expectations cause people to stay later and work on weekends just to get their work done and gain the affirmation of their bosses.
The result has been to speed up the pace of activity and lessen the tolerance for simply "human" mistakes. This has depersonalized so much of what we do that we care more about systems and procedures than we do about people and their issues.
Dazed people with their eyes glazed over go about their daily activities just waiting for their "prison" release at 5.00pm.
It is no wonder that depression is on the rise and antidepressant drugs are the fastest selling drugs around. Helplessness and hopelessness seems to abound wherever I look.
More and more I am meeting people who are at their wits end and who are consuming vast amounts of alcohol, so called "safe" drugs and turning to gambling as a release.
This need to lean on external inputs to reach a "high" in life ultimately breeds growing dependence and abuse for many, especially those with a genetic predisposition, who are then unable of themselves to break the cycle and lead "normal" life.
So what is it that can address the underlying issues for an individual and allow them to experience the freedom from dependence?
Rational discussion doesn't work because the appeal to the mind only brings a fleeting commitment through an acknowledgement without dealing with causes.
Clinical therapies provide a pathway but as they say "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink". I have seen many survivors of therapy return to their dependence when the underlying stresses return. This is simply because the causes have also not been adequately dealt with and the victim has not assimilated the necessary skills and techniques to cope.
I am impressed with the work of AA, NA and GA but do not purport to speak on their behalf. I acknowledge that they cannot have a 100% success rate, but then there is no programme anywhere that can.
I believe that it is the submission to a higher power, the recognition of a God of their own understanding that is the key to the success of these programmes.
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