Beware of the Ides of March. This is the warning that a fortune teller supposedly gave Roman leader Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., a warning that something bad was going to occur on March 15th. Caesar didn’t heed this warning and Brutus and others killed him on that date.
Although the term ides might sound ominous, it’s really just a Roman designation for a particular time of the month. The word beware, however, is a different story. It’s a pretty clear warning, one Caesar should have heeded.
Julius Caesar isn’t alone. We’ve all ignored warnings, even though taking such advice seriously could’ve spared us pain, inconvenience, or other negative outcomes. People suffering from drug or alcohol abuse also ignore warnings. Other people—and their own consciences—might warn them about their addictions and potential problems, but they ignore these warnings.
On some level, ignoring advice seems to be human nature. If people tell us to do things or not to do things, we feel like we know better, since they’re OUR lives. We’ll even do the opposite of what people advise us to do (or not to do). We willingly choose to do things the hard way.
But not listening to someone about drug and alcohol abuse is not like ignoring your mother when she warns you not to pierce your belly button. If you do that anyway, you can always remove that ring from your belly button. Even if it gets infected, you can buy medications or find medical help.
Treatment for drug or alcohol abuse also includes medications, but much more intense ones. It also involves detox, therapy, meetings, and other approaches. All of these are much more involved than going to the drug store and buying some antibiotic cream for an infected belly button.
Admittedly, other people aren’t always right about things. Yes, it’s your life and you’re the one who is living it. But there are warnings that people should follow, and it’s their own warnings. They should listen to their gut instincts. They might spare them the pain of addiction.
