Jose Colon
Nonfiction
Candy Made Her Sick
Luz Maria is a 32-year-old Latina who goes by the name of "Candy." She’s gone by the name of Candy since she was 12 years old, after her first trick, when she literally took candy in exchange for sex. Candy is currently serving a three-year sentence for prostitution and drug possession, and is required to take an alcohol and substance abuse program while serving out her sentence. Candy has been arrested for drugs and prostitution several times, and although this is her second state bid, it's Candy's fifth time participating in a drug program. Candy is correct when she says these programs aren't helping her. Candy believes if the program was any good she would have overcome her drug addiction. You see, substance abuse and prostitution are only symptoms of a deeper issue. Candy's real issue is that she has suffered multiple childhood traumas which have caused her emotional and phycological instability, and ultimately led her to substance abuse, prostitution, and incarceration.
When people see Candy they only see a drug-addicted prostitute. But Candy's story--and problems-- run much deeper. Candy's problems began when she was molested by her neighbor's boyfriend when she was six years old, and continued until Candy was about twelve. She struggled dealing with her emotions and the trauma of being sexually assaulted at such a young age. Due to her being sexually molested as a child, Candy was promiscuous as an adolescent. At fifteen, Candy began to use heroin as a coping mechanism. She didn’t know she was suffering from depression and bipolar disorder. However, she knew what she was feeling wasn't good.
Many people who suffer from mental illness have also suffered from some former traumatic experience as a child or adolescent. There have been some reports that approximately half of the adult population in the U.S. will suffer from some form of diagnosable mental illness during their lifetime. The CDC has reported that 42% of people say they have exhibited symptoms of depression and anxiety. Mental health has come to the forefront with celebrities such as Kanye West, Simon Biles and others opening up about their mental health issues. However, stories like Candy's are not often told. Because she is poor, because she is Latina, because she is a woman, she is overlooked.
I tell Candy's story because many times we look at the surface issue of substance abuse and mental illness and thus provide services that only address the symptoms. This is the equivalent of putting a band-aid on a gun-shot wound. When we walk by someone on the street who is homeless, we see a homeless person and do not consider why or how he or she got there. When an adolescent commits a mass shooting at school, or someone shoots up a concert, do we consider, what would make them commit such an atrocity? Most times we try to discern whether or not it's a terrorist attack, as if "terrorism" explains the mind that would commit a mass shooting.
Trauma, especially childhood trauma, has been a growing issue causing mental health issues around the world. Closer to home, we see traumatic events happening more and more often and the effects of them have resulted in an increase of suicide, substance abuse, and mental illness. Instead of seeing the root cause we only see the symptoms and call it "insanity" and "crime". Unless, and until we start to address the root cause of these issues we will continue to fill our social medicine cabinets with band-aids for oversized wounds instead of a cure that will actually remedy the problem.