Doped-Up Nation: How America Became a Country of Addicts | Alternet

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the fact is that it's increasingly rare that Americans turn to internal or interpersonal resources to establish equilibrium. Instead, our first impulse is to seek out a quick and external source, which becomes both the cause of our problems, and the solution.

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While we may admire the American impulse to applaud hard work, innovation, and daring, the rewards of these labors aren't immediate. We’re an impatient nation; we seek more immediate gratification. We’ve come to accept an approach of “why wait?”, so we grab ahold of whatever it takes to feel better, to keep feeling better, to make it through the day.

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How is it that we’ve wrapped ourselves in the fuzzy dopamine blanket of substance misuse, prescription medication, compulsive eating, celebrity worship, compulsive shopping, internet addiction, video gaming, and compulsive sexual behavior?

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The root issue is that direct, undiluted, authentic engagement with the world and others is a challenge, and the strategy of occasional mood alteration that many employ to "take the edge off" can slide into something more dangerous.

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Turn on the TV, and the prevailing wisdom says there’s no reason to suffer discomfort. Moreover, we’re being instructed that continuous synthetic “adjustment” is the norm - in other words, there’s a pill for whatever ails you,,,

Doped-Up Nation: How America Became a Country of Addicts | Alternet