You frequently hear people decrying the moral decay in today’s world. They point to the opioid crisis or other illegal drug use and say, “This wouldn’t have happened back in my day,” or “This is because of all those television shows/movies/video games.” Putting aside the fact that addiction has nothing to do with morality, it’s hardly a modern problem. Have you ever wondered whether people in ancient times struggled with drug or alcohol addiction? The answer is yes, absolutely.
Cannabis, for example, has been in use for thousands of years, particularly in Chinese medicine. Texts from several hundred years BC made references to using cannabis for treatment of severe pain, curing toxicity, and other actions such as inducing anesthesia or hallucinations.
Alcohol use was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture. Experts believe that wine production began somewhere around 3100 BC, and beer was actually the primary drink in those times because the water was not safe to consume. Similarly, nearly everyone in medieval times drank ale, because it was viewed as more nutritious than water due to the presence of barley and other grains.
The Sumerians cultivated poppies and figured out how to extract opium from their seeds at the end of the third millennium BC. Texts show that it was used to prevent excessive crying in children. By 1300 BC, opium was traded from Egypt to destinations around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece, Carthage, and Europe.
It’s not just substance use that has been going on for thousands of years – people have been dying of overdoses for just as long. Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, reportedly after drinking 33 pots of wine. Somewhat more recently, Charles Dickens was a heavy opium user, and he died in 1870 of a stroke that may have been partially caused by his opium use.
Do you remember the red toadstool with white spots from Alice in Wonderland? There’s a reason why the term Alice in Wonderland syndrome refers to a perception-altering condition brought on by psychotropic drugs. That mushroom is actually called Amanita muscaria, or fly agaric, and it contains psychoactive compounds that have played a role in religious rituals in Central Asia for at least 4000 years. It was used by indigenous people in Siberia to induce spiritual experiences.
Coca leaves – part of the coca plant from which cocaine is derived – were chewed by people in South America as far back as the ninth millennium B.C. During the Incan empire, which began around 1200 AD in modern-day Peru, coca was used in religious ceremonies. Consumption of the leaves was believed to induce a holy trance. After the Spanish conquest, when the Incan people were used as slave labor, the Spanish gave the enslaved people coca to increase productivity.
It’s clear that drug use and addiction are nothing new, but luckily we are much better equipped to provide treatment today. If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504.