If you took a high school literature class, you were probably introduced to some or all of the books we are going to mention below. At the time, you might have loved these books, you might have hated them, or you might have found them to be meh. In any event, you probably did not spend any time thinking that the books from literature class had anything of note to say about substance use disorders and recovery.
If we are being honest, your English teacher probably would not accept the following interpretations if you were to turn them in as the thesis statements for essays about these books. Still and all, we think these novels can point us toward useful lessons that apply to the recovery journey.
So, let’s crack open a few books!
Moby-Dick: The Dangers of Returning to Substance Use
Admittedly, Herman Melville’s 1851 masterpiece might not have made the reading list for your literature class. The book is very long—much longer than what instructors can generally fit into a standard high school semester. Still, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (the book’s full and somewhat oddly punctuated title) is a good place for us to start our literary survey.
The novel centers on the efforts of Captain Ahab to take revenge on a giant white sperm whale that had bitten off his leg during a previous voyage.
What does that have to do with the recovery journey? Well, think of it this way. Captain Ahab is injured by a whale and then—rather than leaving the whale in the past and moving on with his life—he decides to tangle with it again. That second meeting is even more catastrophic than the first (spoiler alert: Ahab and nearly his entire crew are killed by the whale).
That situation is akin to someone who has managed to escape from the grip of drugs or alcohol but then decides to start using them again, putting themselves at grave risk. The results of that relapse can be dire, indeed. Better, then, to do the work of leaving the past in the past.
The Scarlet Letter: Facing Down Underserved Judgement
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, a young woman is forced to wear a scarlet A throughout her life to represent her adultery—a sin that has resulted in the birth of a daughter. Hester Prynne refuses to name the father of her child, and what follows is a tale of guilt, anger, secrets, and more.
Hester Prynne is never allowed to forget her supposed sin—and it can feel like something similar happens to those who suffer from a substance use disorder. The stigma society attaches to substance use disorders can still weigh heavily on those in recovery.
But Hester never lets the stigma she faces wear her down. As a result, she can be thought of as a model for a person in recovery who might face unfair judgment even as they are simply trying to rebuild their life without the influence of drugs or alcohol. Withstanding the judgment of the uninformed or mean people who choose to be unkind is an unfortunate but necessary part of the recovery journey. Finding the people who support you through thick and thin can help.
Catch-22: Being Caught In an Impossible Situation
We turn to Joseph Heller’s 1961 anti-war classic Catch-22 less to consider the plot (which can be hard for readers to suss out given the book’s unusual structure and enormous cast of characters), and more to focus on the paradox—the “Catch-22,” if you will—that can arise when someone is using drugs or alcohol.
When someone is in the grip of a substance use disorder, they eventually realize that drugs or alcohol are chipping away at their physical and mental health. Their relationships, ability to work, and more might also be falling apart. And so, they make the quite reasonable decision to quit.
But generally speaking, they won’t actually be able to quit. The severe symptoms of withdrawal will send them scurrying back to the substances they are trying to give up. And that is the paradox—the Catch-22—that many people suffering from a substance use disorder find themselves trapped in.
Fortunately, there is a way out of the trap: getting treatment at a high-quality facility devoted to helping individuals reclaim their lives.
The Farley Center Is Here to Help
Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, The Farley Center offers personalized treatment plans to help you overcome a substance use disorder. We are also ready and able to address mental health disorders—including depression, panic or anxiety disorders, or issues centered around past traumatic experiences—that may be tangled up with a substance use disorder.
At The Farley Center, we will see you through medically supervised detoxification so that you can get free of the substances you have been using in a safe environment that is free of temptations. Detox is followed by our robust rehabilitation program, which includes group and individual therapy sessions and is designed to help you get ready to start your recovery journey with confidence. After treatment comes to an end, you can count on the team at The Farley Center to provide ongoing support through our aftercare program.
If you are ready to rewrite your story, we are here to help.
