Addiction may be universally acknowledged as a serious issue, but those not affected by it personally might not understand how complex it is.
Many believe addicts are just lazy people who don’t care about themselves or anybody else, simply indulging themselves in what they want.
This isn’t the case. In fact, this point of view is harmful and takes away from the real gravity of the situation.
Addiction is a mental illness. It affects how one behaves or thinks. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “substance use disorder changes normal desires and priorities. It changes normal behaviors and interferes with the ability to work, go to school, and to have good relationships with friends and family.”
These changes also include poor self-control management.
It is also incredibly common for people who already suffer from one mental illness to rely on these substances as well. This occurrence is referred to by the NIMH as “comorbidity,” or having two illnesses at the same time.
According to findings in the National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in “2018, substance use was more common among both adolescents and adults who had a mental health issue than among those who did not have a mental health issue.”
It was also found that among adults 18 and older, 37 percent of people with a serious mental illness and 28 percent of people with any mental illness were cigarette smokers.
This is in comparison to the 16 percent of people without mental illness.
Substance abuse shouldn’t be stigmatized, but instead treated as the illness it is.
We should help addicts overcome their dependence on drugs or alcohol — not by simply demanding they stop, but with sympathy. They are having a hard time dealing with this addiction already and it shouldn’t be our place to judge them, especially when we can’t fully comprehend the full scope of their addiction.
However, while I do believe we should be more caring towards those with substance abuse problems, addiction does not only affect one individual. It can also affect their loved ones, whether it be friends or families.
We’ve heard our fair share of stories about domestic abuse tied to substance abuse and how certain addicts harm those closest to them. The people affected by this behavior should not be ignored either.
Herein lies a major issue of the reality of addiction: remaining sympathetic to an addict while still addressing the pain they’ve inflicted on others.
Both mental illness and substance abuse are important issues that must be addressed properly. Be that as it may, however, both are not excuses to harm another person.
People negatively impacted by an addict’s actions are allowed to remove them from their lives. They are allowed to separate themselves from a harmful situation in whatever way they deem fit, be it cutting contact entirely or limiting interactions. The feelings of these victims are real and important.
It is also important to acknowledge how the addict feels and what the individual goes through.
Obviously, addiction is a complex issue and can’t be solved with a simple refusal of drugs or alcohol. Each case is entirely different because no one person is the same and that includes their minds as well.
How we address and cope with substance abuse should not be simplified or stigmatized. We can acknowledge its complexities while still remaining empathetic to both those struggling addicts and victims of abuse at the hands of one. Addiction may be a double-edged sword, but it’s one we can come to understand further if we try.
There are many resources online as well as in our own community. In Stockton alone there are multiple recovery centers including San Joaquin Recovery and News Directions. You may also contact the National SAMHSA helpline at 1 (800) 662-HELP (4357).
