Helping Drug Dependents

by Fr Shay Cullen

The Venerable Matt Talbot, Dublin [Wikipedia]

Matt Talbot (1856 – 1925) was born to a poor family in Dublin, Ireland. He became addicted to alcohol while still in his teens. ‘This website gives us an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the life and times of the Venerable Matt Talbot. His is a story of triumph over addiction. It is a story of faith and of how the power of God’s grace can help us overcome the struggles and difficulties of life.’ [Editor]

Working for over twenty years helping drug dependents recover from abuse and addiction in a rehabilitation sanctuary for young people using chemical substances, I learned a few important things. First is that they are not criminals but in need of medical help and intervention. Drug abuse is a health issue. The most common answer given by the youth when asked why they began substance abuse is “To forget my problems.” But behind those answers, I learned about the causes and the nature of those problems they try to forget by substance use.

Substance abuse is trying to change bad feelings with chemicals. Millions of adults and young people are using alcohol, a legal drug to “forget their problems.” We need to be compassionate and caring of the substance user, not take a punitive approach of condemnation and punishment.

They are people suffering, hurting and with a troubled life. So the use and abuse of chemical substances is a form of self-medication for some. The use of substances ought not to be a criminal offense but a medical health issue. Those who use chemical substances need and deserve treatment, care and rehabilitation- not the death penalty.

Full post here.