Slavery to the Addiction

For the addict dope is God. It is the supreme being, the Higher Power, in the junkies’ life. He is subjugated to its will. He follows its commandments. The drug is the definition of happiness, and gives the meaning of love. Each shot of junk in his veins is a shot of divine love, and it makes the addict feel resplendent with the grace of God.

From B. Meehan, Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1984), 175, in Welch, p. 53.