Can You Find the Bottle (Addiction) in This Picture?

In yesterday's post about the newspaper article on the tragic shooting in South Carolina I said "there is a bottle in this picture." What this means is that when I read an article or hear a news story, if it has crazy, outlandish, bizarre, whacked-out behavior associated with it, I just know that there has to be drugs and/or alcohol involved. "The bottle" refers to the booze or the drugs and is my euphemism for them. Here's what I mean . . .

We all know that alcohol and drug addictions cause people to do crazy things, think crazy thoughts, rack up outrageous consequences. Most of this madness is confined to a private level. However, when a person's thinking, acting and behaving get completely "out of control" it often makes headlines. Most people don't do outrageous things. So, when you read an article or hear a story on the news detailing something completely crazy, totally "over the top", really bizarre . . . just look for the bottle in the picture. You will find it most of the time.

Here are a few headlines that unequivocally and publicly shout addiction:

“Pilot allegedly tried to fly drunk”
“Man in car died of intoxication”
“Man with prior DUI’s charged with a third”
“Funeral director spent clients’ money on strippers”
“School bus driver charged with drunken driving”
“Drunk driver gets 25 years in fatal crash”
"Ecstasy overdose fatal”
“Parents test positive for meth in family drowning”

Often the headlines are not so obvious, but when you read the body of the article, 9 times out of 10 it will mention alcohol or drugs, thus verifying your suspicion. Here is a sampling:

“Woman charged for allegedly ramming wheelchair-bound mom”
“Man claims rage caused wife’s death”
“Woman arrested in cemetery incident”
“Girl called for help minutes before murder-suicide”
“Pair who fled wrong way on freeway still at large”
“80-year old pleads guilty to attacking wife of 60 years with hammer”
“Panhandler arrested for allegedly kicking dog”
“Man allegedly left to die on windshield”
“Woman charged after fight over crying baby”
“2 plead not guilty in horse’s death”
“Man escapes charges after flowerpot fracas”

In this second set of articles, alcohol or drugs were specifically mentioned somewhere in the story.

So, how do I come to the conclusion that alcohol or drugs were involved in these stories simply by reading the headlines? Think about it. Sober people don't do these things!!! Seriously. Do you know any sober person who rams her wheel-chair bound mother? Who leaves someone to die on their windshield? Who gets arrested in a cemetery incident? No. And, neither do I. Common sense and the law of averages tell me there is a bottle in the picture.

Even scarier than these stories is knowing that there are people who know these people. There are people that know these people have a problem with alcohol or drugs. It's sad that it reaches this level without a friend or family member intervening to help and intervening in a way that is most likely to succeed in helping. Think of the cost, the embarrassment, the humiliation, the loss of life, liberty. It doesn't need to be this way; There is Help~There is Hope

So, the next time you read the newspaper see if you can find the "bottle in the picture." Let us know what you come up with~