in the park sniffing glue, a gaunt figure with a heroin needle in their arm, a breakfast-time

在公園裡嗅著膠水，一個手臂上插著海洛因針頭的憔悴身影，一個早餐時間的

vodka drinker…

喝伏特加的人...

But such gothic characterisations mask what is in reality a far more universal and less

但這種哥特式的描述掩蓋了實際上更普遍、更少的問題。

overtly dramatic - though still pernicious - phenomenon.

雖然仍然是有害的，但也是明顯的戲劇性現象。

Addiction doesn’t have anything to do with what one is addicted to: it can’t be neatly

成癮與一個人對什麼上癮沒有任何關係：它不能被整齊的

circumscribed to those who rely on hard drugs or alcohol.

對那些依賴硬性毒品或酒精的人來說，是一種限制。

In its essence, addiction simply means leaning on something - it could be anything - because

就其本質而言，成癮僅僅意味著依賴某種東西--它可能是任何東西--因為

it prevents particular ideas from coming into our minds.

它可以防止特定的想法進入我們的頭腦。

The addict relies on their chosen pursuit to block unwelcome emotions from storming

癮君子依靠他們選擇的追求來阻擋不受歡迎的情緒的衝擊

the theatre of their consciousness.

他們意識的劇場。

The particular object of their addiction might be whisky or marijuana, but it could just

他們上癮的具體對象可能是威士忌或大麻，但也可能只是

as well be their mobile phone or ever more copious buckets of fried chicken.

也可以是他們的手機或更多的炸雞桶。

One can be addicted to talking to one’s mother or cleaning cupboards, doing the accounts

一個人可以沉迷於和自己的母親談話，或清洗櫥櫃，做賬目

or tracking migrating birds.

或追蹤遷徙的鳥類。

What the addict fears above all is to be left alone, to have nothing to do other than to

癮君子最害怕的是被拋棄，無事可做，只想做自己的事。

turn into themselves and to face unbearable sadness or regret, fear or longing.

變成自己，面對無法忍受的悲傷或遺憾、恐懼或渴望。

The popular misunderstanding of what addiction is lets too many of us off the hook.

大眾對成癮的誤解讓我們中的很多人逃脫了。

It allows people to claim that they are merely going to the office again or checking the

它允許人們聲稱他們只是再次去辦公室或檢查一下

news, toning at the gym or catching up on football results.

新聞，在健身房鍛鍊身體，或追看足球比賽結果。

Yet addicts are not evil or weak.

然而，成癮者並不邪惡或軟弱。

They are first and foremost scared.

他們首先是害怕。

The solution shouldn’t - therefore - involve censorship and lectures, rather love and reassurance.

是以，解決方案不應涉及審查和說教，而是愛和保證。

We should make moves to allow people to feel as safe as possible about opening more doors

我們應該採取行動，讓人們對打開更多的門感到儘可能的安全。

in their minds and confident that they can handle whatever might be skulking inside.

在他們的頭腦中，相信他們能夠處理可能潛伏在裡面的任何東西。

It is never really fried chicken or social media updates we like anyway: we are just

反正我們喜歡的從來不是真正的炸雞或社交媒體的更新：我們只是

at a loss as to how to begin to reflect without terror on the course of our lives.

茫然不知如何開始對我們的生命歷程進行無畏的反思。