How Addiction Can Heal Society | Lance Wright | TEDxJasper

On March 11th, 1993, at 1:30 in the morning, Lance Wright found himself broken and crying in a California state prison. He had just been caught for possession and distribution of methamphetamine, nine years into a life sentence, and three months before his first parole board hearing. In that moment, he felt his life was over, but it marked a turning point. He looked within and questioned how his life had reached that point, realizing it wasn't who he authentically was. This moment of introspection, like looking at another person he was responsible for, but didn't recognize, motivated him to change. Lance Wright is now an addiction recovery specialist and counselor, sober for over 33 years from drugs, alcohol, criminality, and chaos. He describes being born into chaos in the 1950s, to a single mother who was a drug addict and alcoholic. His earliest memories involve fear and loneliness, wondering what his mother would do. He struggled with undiagnosed ADHD, which led to him being isolated in school and placed in juvenile hall at 12 or 13 for truancy, introducing him to institutionalization and criminality. At 19, he received a life sentence in the California state prison system. Society viewed him as a "throwaway," and he internalized this identity, seeing himself as unloved, unwanted, different, and "less than." These narratives became motivating factors, shaping his identity until that morning in 1993. He eventually found people who helped him connect to his story, realizing that drugs, alcohol, and destructive behaviors were external manifestations of a broken soul—a broken little boy in a man's body. He explains that most people focus on the obvious external aspects of addiction, like drugs and alcohol, but fail to ask "why." When he began to ask why, he understood his own story and how his life had unfolded. He posits that people use drugs and alcohol as a solution to an intolerable problem with themselves, driven by subconscious thoughts. In his current work with clients in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas, and across the country, he helps them understand the "thought addiction" behind their substance abuse. He explains that individuals are often more attached to their internal thoughts and feelings than to external substances, using the latter to escape the former. By becoming aware of their personal narratives, he helps clients change their thinking, which in turn changes their actions and improves their lives, leading to long-term sobriety and freedom. He spent 20 years in prison, working hard to earn his freedom and understand why he did what he did, vowing never to repeat it. Upon his release, he observed society to be "addicted and attached to negativity, conflict and division." He questioned why this was the case, conceiving the idea of "societal thought addiction"—a collective attachment to narratives and tribal identities that separate people. He believes the same principles that help individuals heal from substance and thought addiction can help society heal from its differences, polarization, and conflict. He suggests that by listening to and seeing one another, not to argue but to grow, society can overcome its divisions. He reflects on his own journey to prison, driven by his thinking and a desire for validation from peers, unable to say no or go against his tribe. He asks if society finds itself in a similar spot, and if lowering walls, pausing, and stepping back to see one another could lead to positive change. He concludes by expressing his personal belief that the wisdom to change exists, but it requires a collective effort. He admits to a deep sadness upon returning home and seeing society's divisions. He urges people to question the thoughts they are attached to that keep them divided, asking if it's worth it for future generations. Like his moment of introspection in 1993, he asks if, collectively, with an open heart, society can step back and ask, "How did this happen to us? This isn't who we are." He hopes for a future where people see each other with new eyes and a new heart.