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Unbottled: What Shame and Silence Are Doing to Gen Z’s Relationship with Substances

  • Writer: Scraper
    Scraper
  • Apr 9
  • 6 min read

Updated: Apr 18

Shame is a soul eating Emotion – Carl Jung

A simple kid, a Complicated Mind


Addiction isn't just about a substance, It's about the silence that surrounds it. The real damage often begins not with the drink, but with the shame that follows it. Shame that morphs into silence. Silence that stops someone from asking for help.


Within India and adjacent cultures, addiction is still a whispered tragedy. It's talked about like a disease of character, not of the mind. But here's the catch, People who feel shame are, in fact, aware. They know the consequences, how?


Walk with me, think back to when you were a kid. When we're ashamed of something, it's often because we 'know' better. That innate ideal is aware, scared and silently suffering. The same goes for addiction. Nobody feels shame about something they wholeheartedly believe is right, you don't see Jeff Bezos, Elon musk, or The Ambani's being ashamed of making insane money. If you're sneaking about for your substance, there's a part of you that is aware it's hurting you and that part is trying to protect you.


Hand holds a clear bottle against a vibrant sunset sky. The bottle reflects golden light and has embossed text, creating a serene mood.
Credit- Max Andrey

Shame becomes the secret co-pilot of addiction, especially for Gen Z and young adults. They don't want help, not because they're stubborn (which we are), but because amongst other reasons, they're scared. Scared of becoming another sad story no one knows how to handle.


The Science: Shame and It's Predictive Power


Research by the Association for Psychological Science found that shame linked to past addiction significantly predicts relapse and declining health in recovering individuals. The more someone internalizes shame, the more likely they are to use again. Because shame doesn't drive people to seek help, it pushes them to hide. Another study from Science Direct found that shame proneness was associated with heigthened risk of relapse in people recovering from substance use.


In India, this gets worse. Why? Because folks here don't separate the person from the addiction. If you drink, you are 'bad'. If you relapse, you are a 'failure'. It becomes a moral flaw rather than a a mental health concern. And so, help isn't given, it's denied.


According to researchers at the University of Houston, shame isolates. It leads to secrecy, which then prevents people from accessing treatment. One research review even found that people who feel ashamed about drinking are more likely to deny the severity of their addiction, a defence mechanism with deadly consequences. (PMC 2019).


Many clients delay seeking help because of the stigma, not just from society but within their own families – Alpha Healing Center

Gen Z & The Performative Wellness Culture


Here's the juxtaposition: Gen Z is the most mental health aware generation. While simultaneously also the most burnt out, medicated and anxious. The old age of shame hasn't gone anywhere, it's just out louder than ever with a new mask.


We all talk about healing, but rarely about relapsing. They post about therapy, but hide their weekend blackouts. Alcohol is aestheticized as relaxation on socials, but quielty used as medication at night or throughout the day.


The term 'functioning alcoholic' still feels distant to many young people, especially students and early working professionals. But as Psychology Today points out, high functioning alcoholics don't necessarily hit rock bottom, they hide it well. And that makes it harder for them to recognize the problem, let alone seeking help.


To cherry it up, peer influence and unsafe environments often reinforce secrecy. Indian families often treat addiction like a moral failing instead of a medical condition. That means folks are simply hiding their struggles from both their friends and families.


The Cultural Weight of Indian Expectations


We'll be here stuck longer than The Himalayas if we start thinking about all the negative effects of indian culture and its ripples throughout. So let's not sugarcoat it: The Indian Cultural response to addiction is deeply flawed. Honor, reputation, and family 'ki izzat ka sawal' take priority over individual healing. Adolescents and young adults don't get help because they fear being labeled as a 'problem child'.


This is where shame breeds, in the unsaid rules of what we are supposed to be: Stable, successful, self controlled. Anything less, you're seen as either lazy or a liability be it at work or at home. This cultural silencing pushes young people to experiment behind closed doors, in unsafe places, without guidance. The shame doesn't stop the behaviour, it makes it more dangerous.


The consequences are recorded by studies that show cultures with high levels of stigma towards alcohol abuse have lower treatment seeking rates and higher relapse rates, (PMC 2023). The lack of open dialogue in schools, homes, and workplaces contributes to untreated addiction across socioeconomic strata


But this is where HOPEFULLY progressive rehab centers such as Alpha Healing Center are stepping in to change the narrative and ideals to holistic living.


The Health Fallout


Alcohol addiction isn't just emotional, It leads to real, measurable, physical destruction. According to research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Various peer reviewed studies: Neurodegeneration begins earlier in binge drinkers. Mental illness co-occurrence is drastically high, especially depression, anxiety and trauma related conditions.


And yet, in India, there's still resistance to treating addiction as a health issue. Often, people dont seek medical intervention until their bodies begin to collapse, and even then, some families prefer silence over rehabilitation.

A hand touches a foggy glass, lit by blue and orange lights in the background, creating a moody, atmospheric scene.
Credit - Josh Hild

As clients in their testimonials at Alpha Healing Center point out, early intervention, medical detox and holistic therapies like bio neurofeedback, rTMS, and Expressive Arts Therapy lead to far better outcomes, both emotionally and physically.


How To Help


Here's a fact: Not everyone is equipped to save someone. You aren't supposed to be, but everyone can be helpful in small ways. How?


  • Listen without labelling: If someone opens up to you, don't immediately ask 'How much do you consume?' Just listen.

  • Normalize therapy: You don't have to offer or have access to the solutions, just normalize the idea that help exists.

  • Point them to the right places: Even if you can'y be their support system, you can connect them with people who can.

  • Share resources: Whether that's a hotline, a rehabilitation center or even an empathetic youtube video.

  • Listen and Don't Judge: Don't reinforce their shame. Celebrate the courage it takes to ask for help.


Alpha Healing Center offers a stigma free environment with premium accommodations, holistic healing and licensed therapies, especially vital for those terrified of being outed for their addiction.


Put a lid on Shaming


To reiterate: Alcohol isn't the villain here. The problem is the silence. The cultural shame. The environments that make people feel like they have to hide until they break. We cannot keep pretending sobriety is just a choice, it's a war. With shame and the progressing culture is the enemy. The more people are shamed into silence, the harder it becomes for them to seek support.


You don't have to be a therapist to make a difference. You just have to be a better listener. If you can create a safe space, for a friend, a sibling, or even yourself. You're already doing more than most.


Reach out to Alpha Healing Center, or any verified therapist or support group near you.

Recovery doesn’t start with a rehab plan, it starts with the truth.


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