by Nuri Muhammad
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 20, 2025
There is a pervasive lie in modern society that claims all psychological and behavioral dysfunction is solely the fault of the individual. This narrative insists that trauma, addiction, perversion, and all the personal struggles one faces are self-inflicted wounds. It suggests that the only solution is to “pull yourself together,” stop blaming others, and accept full responsibility for your condition. But is this truly the case?
When we step back and examine the broader society into which individuals are born, we begin to see a different picture. Western civilization, including Belize as a part of it, is one of the most commercialized, addicted, violent, and perverse societies in history. It is an environment engineered to reinforce destructive behaviors and dependencies. Look at the impact of social media. Yet, the social institutions within these societies focus more on individual dysfunction than on addressing the systemic issues that create and perpetuate these struggles. This glaring contradiction exposes the deep-rooted hypocrisy of our modern world.
Take, for example, addiction. In Belize, alcohol is the legal drug of choice; yet, it is statistically proven to be the main culprit in severe domestic violence, road accidents, and youth violence. Despite this, the manufacturing and distribution of alcohol continue unabated, largely because of the revenue it generates for the government. Likewise, cigarette smoking remains a widespread and destructive habit, killing millions worldwide due to cancers. However, there is no real effort to ban these substances, because of the financial gains involved.
Like an addict in denial, society justifies these harmful habits for the sake of economic benefit while simultaneously blaming the individual addict. We often hear the common excuse: “Nobody is forcing him; he should drink responsibly.” Yet, all around us, from the villages to the cities, the devastating evidence of this epidemic is undeniable. We see broken families, lives lost in traffic accidents, and youth drowning in cycles of addiction and violence. When does it become society’s responsibility to say, as a collective person, “I need help”?
Society funds countless rehabilitation programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and various “Just Say No” initiatives like D.A.R.E. in schools and rehabilitation programs in prison, all of which are meant to curb addiction. However, despite the millions of dollars spent on these programs, relapse rates remain high because they do not address the root cause: our social environment itself is designed to breed addiction and dependency.
In her book, When Society Becomes an Addict, Anne Wilson Schaef argues that the United States—and by extension, much of the world—has evolved into a homogenous addict. The very fabric of modern society is woven with dependency, whether on substances, consumerism, or digital distractions like Facebook. Yet, when individuals inevitably succumb to these pressures, they are blamed for their weakness, rather than the system being held accountable for its role in fostering addiction.
We must shift our focus from solely blaming individuals to acknowledging and addressing the broader societal structures that promote dysfunction. Real change will only come when we recognize that personal struggles are often symptoms of deeper, systemic issues. Until then, the hypocrisy of blaming individuals while perpetuating an addicted and dysfunctional society will continue unchecked.