George Floyd and DMX are men whose lives mattered, yet both of them are positioned in the popular media as junkies and losers. Bad, trifflin' Black men whose lives were destined for the grave. We know Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd with his hand in his pocket as though his life meant nothing, and yet the conversation is more focused on if George would have JUST gotten in the police car. Much like if DMX had JUST not used drugs, he too would still be alive.
This week, Dr. Venus slows it way down to talk about what addiction is, what it is not, and how we need to change the conversation to see it more about well-being than about willpower. She discusses addiction as a survival strategy, and how being poor and Black creates its own DNA strands of PTSD. Dr. Venus reminds us that addiction doesn't always just look like a junkie. We can be addicted to anything including food, work, relationships, and they all can take a toll on our health and quality of life. When we look at it from this lens, we vilify people less and come from a place of understanding and peace. When YOU are threatened, scared, overwhelmed, feel like the world is against you, or haunted by the pain of the past, how do YOU cope? How do you survive? Let's talk about it.
Key Takeaways:
[2:02] There are two different narratives when it comes to addiction. For White people, struggling with addiction means they get grace and mercy. For Black Men and Women, addiction is seen as a character trait that makes them weak, broken, and worthless.
[2:50] No one chooses to be an addict, and having an addiction does not make you weak or less than a deserving human. Addiction is not a character trait. It is a brain disorder and a medical condition. Yet, the headlines scream the most vile and ugly things, specifically when it comes to Black Men as addicts.
[4:33] Dr. Venus breaks down how addiction plays a role in the stress response Black Men and Women feel just trying to survive day to day. It dates back to African ancestry and since we've been here, we have been in a moment of crisis. The target on your back is sanctioned by the government, and being Black is stressful no matter if you are rich or poor, queer or straight, you are born into stereotypes you didn't earn. When things start compounding, addictions can be born as a type of survival strategy. She gives the example of DMX, who was rejected by his mother at a very young age. You add in poverty and a biased education system, and it is possible to see why someone would turn to an addiction.
[11:52] Addictive behavior doesn't have to look like a crackhead. Michael Jackson was just trying to sleep and his White doctor ended up giving him the wrong dose and killing him. We need to expand what we call an addict. It can be wine or drugs, but it can also be gambling, sex, food, or even just the need to be right or liked by everyone.
[14:38] White people use the trope of the Black Man as an addict so often to justify killing us. It's infuriating and will continue unless we change the conversation and the power structures at play. We're watching the conversation be manipulated into "yeah, but he was a drug addict."
[19:44] It screams in headlines that our lives don't matter, and they are wrong. DMX was a flawed man, but flawed doesn't equal justifying their murder or celebrating their demise. Nor does it equal tarnishing their name while they are here, or after they have gone.
[20:22] What are you addicted to? You can be addicted to red bottoms, to being important, to being in the number one spot. It doesn't have to look like a crackhead. If you can't NOT do it, you are an addict. Addiction doesn't equal bad, it equals human. Survival is hard.
[24:52] Being an addict doesn't mean you have no willpower. We need to change the conversation and make it about well-being and less about a character trait. Then, we can help people get the tools and strategies to cope with their addictions.
[28:15] If we can relate to addiction as a survival strategy, it starts being about well-being, a chemical issue, and stops being about being weak or flawed. That is a different conversation with no condemnation. Addiction is not a character flaw, it's part of the human condition.
[34:21] Dr. Venus heard a rumor about Jay-Z possibly buying DMX's catalog to give it to his children and set them up for life. If that happens, that is a Billionaire move and an example of what happens when Black Men and Women make enough money to make changes big enough to impact generations to come.
Quotes:
Mentioned:
Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
"Hot Mess Millionaire" Amazon Pilot
"Hot Mess Millionaire" Complete Series
(https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese)
Join the conversation! Hot Mess Millionaire Facebook Group
Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe
The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition
ATTENTION CONTENT CREATORS, INFLUENCERS, ENTERPRISING ENTREPRENEURS & TV/FILM WRITERS:
I'm starting a tech company that features YOUR VOICE front and center!
If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus' tech start-up, fill out the form below for updates, launch dates, AND opportunities to be a part of history in the making!!
RESOURCES
