Isabelle Lightwood and Trauma part three

(Please be aware that this post contains sensitive content around addiction and mental health issues)

So this is a continuation of the series on Izzy lightwood and trauma caused by the shadow world. She is the Sister of Alec lightwood and Jace (who is adopted) I have talked briefly about their relationships and how this plays out, in the shadow world. As this world is a perfect storm for creating trauma. Due to its nature and it is a great portrayal of trauma in some ways.

this sees her seeking the next fix without concern for her safety and the safety of those around her. Hitting rock bottom is a myth often it is the people you are around that force you to get help and this is why Raphael encourages her to sweat it out. Rock bottom for Izzy is her going to the hotel de mort and threatening Raphael so the justifications, excuses the lies about where you are all symptoms of addiction. The reality is that addiction is a disease and diseases have treatments. The treatment for Izzy is a root found in France supplied by another Shadowhunter and removes yourself from the relationships or situation that caused the addiction.

This is possible in the short term but not in the longer term for Izzy so she seeks the help of "mundane groups," there is a lot of these types of groups the most famous being AA and its related chapters and there are also online groups.

This clip is about Alec trying to find out what is going on in Izzy's life as she is starting to show signs of lying about where she is not letting people know where you are not answering her phone. These can be signs of other issues but what happens when you are not honest with the people you care about seeks them to mistrust you. In any form of illness or addiction being honest with the people who care is important. We do see not a lot of importance put on mental health in this world until later in the series. The relationship Raphael has with Izzy isn't actually healthy it is co-dependent as they are getting their fix from each other and not communicating their needs and boundaries. We see later on in this episode Alec ( Izzy's older brother) boils over with rage when he is told that Izzy is getting her to fix from the source.

Alec is generally overprotective of Izzy due to him having to take on a caretaker role in the family. We see him attacking Raphael as he seems to attack first and ask questions later, he wants the best for Izzy, but we see that at this point in time, Izzy, Alec, and Raphaelle don't seem to be making good decisions.

We see that Alec can get to the bottom of where the addiction came from and this allows him to take back what in the show is portrayed as his destiny. It also shows the role of gossip both good and bad in a large organization. As gossip is a form of communication but at the same time can cause a massive amount of harm to people's reputations. It also doesn't really fly well in a professional organization as it can be seen as workplace bullying. However, it is the truth, and we see a massive amount of growth from Alec and Izzy in this episode.

- This shows us What Izzy's rock bottom looks like as she is so faint she is so focused on her next fix we see her collapse, due to hunger. lack of sleep and energy to generally function as a Shadowhunter. Throughout the series, we see her source a root that helps with the cravings much like people who use methadone or other opioids or illegal drug replacements such as suboxone. Or even a legal form of cannabis oil. All are administered in outpatient clinics and by some chemists in Australia. However, there are very strict rules around them for both the client and the clinic or pharmacy.

This is a great character progression around relationships and the line about being honest with the people who care about you is a line that resonates with a lot of people not only with addiction but disability and chronic health issues. As in this episode and series of the show you can see a lot of growth in the characters. As the relapse was caused by Izzy sacrificing herself for Simon to be able to remove the Mark of Cain.

We also see her care for her bother as he is sacrificing his true love for Magnus to get his magic back but doesn't understand the risks that he is taking we see that this is a massive issue, in that he doesn't understand that Magnus would have accepted his mortality and it's really not his decision to make.

Sources for this post.

Trauma | APS (psychology.org.au)

What Is Codependency? (verywellmind.com)

9 Signs You're a High Functioning Addict | Addictions.com

7 "Rock-Bottom" Myths and the Truth Behind Them (drugabuse.com)

Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Health - HelpGuide.org

5 Feelings Family Members of Addicts Experience (soberrecovery.com)

Stanford research: Hidden benefits of gossip, ostracism

Workplace Bullying: How to Identify and Manage Bullying (healthline.com)

Workplace bullying - Wikipedia

Alcohol and other drugs services | Queensland Health

The Mark of Cain | Answers in Genesis