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Happy New Year! The following post was not easy to write because some of it triggered troubling memories and filled me with fear. Yet these are stories that need to be told—stories about addiction, privilege, and the price of keeping up appearances.
During this past holiday season, I discovered Wim Wenders' film "Perfect Days." It’s the story of Hirayama, a Tokyo toilet cleaner who escaped his family’s life of privilege, abuse, and addiction by embracing simplicity, routine, and mindfulness. His journey mirrors a troubling reality: according to a 2017 Arizona State University study, young adults from affluent backgrounds are two to three times more likely to develop drug or alcohol addiction compared to national averages. This piece explores the unique pressures, enabling factors, and hidden struggles that fuel addiction in privileged families—and offers paths toward healing....
A narrated essay from The Pressures of Privilege.
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