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Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle, premiered in February 1996. The film, adapted from the short story collection by Irvine Walsh, was at first feared to glorify drug use but eventually proved critics wrong. The first wave of the opioid epidemic hit in the nineties, shortly before the film’s release. In 2010, the second wave came and continued to affect the country. In response, Danny Boyle once again took the director’s chair in 2017 with T2 Trainspotting, a sequel that featured the same cast but showcased the characters’ adult lives.
As the COVID-19 pandemic affects us all, those battling addictions are facing an even bigger crisis. Not only are they high-risk for the virus, but social distancing is affecting their treatments, creating a bigger possibility of relapse. Although entertaining, the Trainspotting films have placed the issue of addiction under a microscope to create empathy towards addicts and encourage support and understanding.
Addiction Is A Brain Disorder
While some people might claim those facing addiction lack moral principles or will power, the fact is it’s a complex disease. Drug-seeking and compulsive use, despite knowing the harmful consequences, are what categorize drug addiction. This repeated use makes it increasingly difficult to resist intense urges as one’s self-control is challenged. Long-term use can also affect decision-making, judgment, stress, memory, and behavior.
Drugs give the user euphoria as they target the “reward-circuit” of the brain. Usually one gets this feeling from eating after being hungry but in addicts their extended use branches this feeling to drugs. The effect causes a reaction, leading them to repeat the behavior in an attempt to recreate their first, and biggest, reward. An increased risk for addiction comes from biology, development, and environment, which the Trainspotting films focus intently on.
Trainspotting Is A High
The title of the film and novel brought into question: why Trainspotting? There are many reasons thrown around, and all of them seem appropriate. The word trainspotting is an ’80s British slang meaning to be obsessed over something (in this case drugs). Trainspotting is also a hobby of watching trains and looking for certain characteristics, which hobbyists find gives them a rush. Most likely, however, is the Edinburgh slang meaning “to shoot up”. The marking of heroin addicts injecting the same vein resembles spotting on a track.
One Last Hit
For the majority of the film, Renton attempts to get clean off of heroin, and in his pursuit, he countlessly reasons for one last hit. The first cleansing used the Sick Boy Method, which involved one locked room, 18 tins of soup, three buckets for bodily fluids, a television, and one last hit. The desperate desire for a score, leading Renton to deep-dive into the worst toilet in Scotland for his recently ejected opium suppositories, highlights just how enticing drugs appear to addicts. When Renton’s hand emerges from the toilet with the suppositories, they give off a blue glow in contrast to the dimly-lit restroom, creating imagery of holy artifacts.
In Renton’s second, and more brutal cleansing, he enters what he calls junkie limbo where he is too sick to sleep but too tired to stay awake. In this scene, he gets the sweats, chills, nausea, pain, and cravings of going cold turkey. Renton also begins hallucinating his friends visiting him, and even deceased Baby Dawn crawling on the ceiling. His anger was showcased after cursing his parents for being denied one last hit. What followed, as he slowly became sober, were the feelings he hid behind the heroin: pain and guilt, especially towards Spud’s imprisonment and Tommy’s newfound addiction. The drugs had a great impact on him physically and mentally, as they do to any addict.
A Full-Time Business
While it’s already known that drug addicts will do just about anything to afford their next dose, Trainspotting reiterates this with a montage of events. From stealing car batteries and money from his mother’s wallet, to trading drugs with cancer victims, epileptics, alcoholics, etc. Sick Boy even shows a hidden stash in the heel of his shoe, equipped with a needle to boot. Renton’s last exchange with Mother Superior, the name given to the supplier for the length of his addiction, even mimicked restaurant service. Addiction has no limits and becomes casual to the addict. The restaurant exchange also created a connection to the reward circuit mentioned earlier.
Why enter the business of addiction? Simple, as Renton and his friends have made clear, life is hard and heroin makes it easier to survive. After twelve hours of being sober, Renton and Sick Boy decided to return to heroin because they began to run into too much trouble to handle with a clear mind. Even Tommy, who never touched drugs and considered them poison to one’s body, took up heroin after being dumped by Lizzy. Renton’s almost lethal hit was self-justified because despite being surrounded by his friends and family, he still felt alone. The vulnerability of life makes the pleasure of drugs that much more enticing to addicts despite the lifestyle.
T2
The sequel to the indie-hit was released twenty years later and still presents itself as relevant in its relation to addiction. The first film dealt with afflicted young adults, but throwing in actual responsibilities added a new reality. The gang has matured, if only in age, and are just as reckless as before. The long-term effects of addiction can be seen in the second Trainspotting film, creating a bigger picture of the lives of past and current addicts.
Be Addicted To Something Else
Having been reintroduced to the beloved characters of the Trainspotting series, it’s been revealed that some haven’t moved on as much as Renton. Spud is still a heroin addict, having relapsed after losing his job, money, and child visitation rights. The difference between now and before is that the consequences hugely affected Spud’s emotionality, causing him to attempt suicide. However, the return of his old friend comforted Spud to attempt to choose life again. The need for a support system and motivation can be felt through their interaction, as long-struggles with addiction parasitically feed off an addict’s mentality.
In Renton’s small speech to Spud, he mentions that he should be addicted to something else, and implies for it to be more productive. Just as Renton said, and as all addiction therapists say, the problem isn’t with releasing toxic drugs from one’s system. The real problem is altering one’s mind and, as that’s the hardest part of recovery, finding a new positive outlet.
Consequences Linger
Throughout the sequel, there are flashes of the past through projections, visual matches, and Spud’s written memories. Despite washing away the pain in drugs, the results of their actions haunt them forever. Renton still feels guilty for Tommy and Sick Boy for Baby Dawn. Even gathering themselves together, their past decisions continue to affect them. The consequences of trauma, regret, and guilt are added reasons why the drug is so appealing that the two friends take one more hit. They are also the reasons that the drug is so repulsive, that their desire to stay clean remains.
Although the mental and emotional health of an addict is affected, there are also physical retributions. Renton’s marital troubles stemmed from his infertility because of his extended use of heroin. How could he let go of the past entirely when he couldn’t see a future? His health also took a dip, as three months before his visit he suffered a heart attack. Mistreatment of one’s body and old age don’t go hand-in-hand. This point shows how important it is to stop a bad addiction sooner rather than later.
Choose Life
Both films have monologues altering the ’80s anti-drug slogan, “Choose Life.” Each one boils down to looking at reality as it is, filled with negative emotions and reactions. That life has many hardships and hurdles that no one can avoid, and it is rough. While some find ways to cope with day-to-day life in semi-healthy ways, others, like the gang, find release in drugs.
These monologues can be felt by audiences and understood on some level by everyone, and as this is true it can be seen that drug addicts are normal people with a more intense stress release strategy. The Trainspotting films brought different perspectives of addiction to light for the mass public. The message rings that addiction is a challenging disease that everyone is afflicted by in some way, so understanding should come easy. Support should be given to those we know, and even those we don’t.
Especially in the current climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, relationships hold even greater importance. For information and treatment referrals (365-days-a-year) call, or pass on, the number: 1-800-662-4357.