By: John Glover (MBA)
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to addiction. People who are not close to the disease might think those suffering from it brought it upon themselves or that they genuinely want to live this way. However, it’s essential to understand that addiction is just that, a disease and people cannot fully control whether it happens to them or not. This disease is both physical and mental, changing that person from the inside out. Instead of shaming people for their addiction, it’s essential to break the stigma surrounding it and offer genuine support.
Did you know that nearly 50 million people across the United States have an addiction? This type of disease starts small, slowly manifesting into something more destructive. These numbers are a reflection of how much work and awareness needs to be done to help support those who are suffering. Dwelling on the stigmatization and misconceptions of the disease only drives it further. People make mistakes, but how they learn and grow from it matters. The same sentiment is for people with an addiction. They are people, and it’s time to give them grace and love so they can get through it.
One of the important things to note is that addiction impacts people physically and mentally. To help people to the other side of their addiction, you have to see them for who they truly are. One of the devastating aspects of this disease is that it turns people into something they aren’t. On a physical level, drug addiction can harm peoples’ immune system, liver, and their heart which can turn fatal. Studies show that more than 90 people die each day from an opioid overdose. These issues affect one’s physical appearance as well, transforming them into someone unrecognizable. Addiction changes peoples’ world upside down.
The mental impacts of addiction are also serious, and need to be addressed. People can experience aggression, impulsiveness, lack of self-control and other behavioral issues. Addiction is an overall health issue, not just a physical one. That’s why it’s so important for family members and loved ones to understand just how serious addiction truly is. No matter how it started, those suffering need a continuous support system so they can get through it.
“Recognizing just how different addicts are—and how differently a son or daughter behaves once addiction has taken hold—is vitally important for the parents of addicts. As David Sheff wrote so heartbreakingly in Beautiful Boy, when addiction took over his son’s life, the boy he once knew and trusted was replaced by someone who would lie, cheat, steal, and endanger his family to get drugs,” says “Moon Over Humboldt” author, Jim Hight.
It can be hard to see the people you love become the addiction, but you have to stay strong for them. During their weakest moments they still deserve love and compassion, because after all, they are human. Sometimes it’s up to family and friends to change their approach so they can connect and get beneath the surface of the disease. There is no universal path to recovery, but having a line of support that does not feed into the stigmatization of the disease goes a long way.
“I do not have an addict for a child—in fact, I have no biological children. But I’ve watched and listened to and sat with parents of addicts, and I incorporated elements of their stories (always safeguarding anonymity) as well as those of writers like Sheff in my novel, Moon Over Humboldt. Bill, the father in my story, has to learn to detach with love from his son—a process so daunting that he doesn’t even understand what it means at first,” Hight says.
Talking about addiction and educating others on what addiction truly is will help break down barriers surrounding it. Those suffering from addiction will not be able to fully get help on their own and when the world is against them, it makes it even harder. Knowing that there are real people underneath the disease can help people have a little more sympathy for those suffering and can encourage them to provide help and other resources. Addiction changes people from the inside out, but looking beyond the disease and searching for the human inside can help people on their road to recovery.
Published by: Khy Talara
