When you or a family member is struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or substance use disorder (SUD), it’s often difficult to help other people understand the nature of addiction. Unfortunately, some numerous myths and stigmas make matters more complicated. Here are some perspectives and resources that may help.
Is Addiction a Moral Failing?
No, although this disease has a murky footing in morality. Historians often reference church abstinence pledges dating as far back as the 1800s, as well as the temperance movement and Prohibition in the U.S., as the primary ties to behavior and alcohol and substance use.
But here’s an interesting fact. In the late 1800s–early 1900s, the primary ingredient for the beverage Coca-Cola was cocaine. First created by Atlanta pharmacist Dr. John Pemberton, it was a non-alcoholic alternative to some of his previous headache and nerve curative tonics. After the product changed hands a few times, new owners eliminated cocaine as an ingredient and replaced it with caffeine, then mass-produced the product into the worldwide soda we know today.
A person then who trusted a local pharmacist to dispense a beverage to help them get over their ailments is similar to an individual now following their doctor’s advice to take opioids for pain management. Are they morally wrong for taking a drug that can possibly help them? No. However, is it possible to become addicted to prescription drugs? Yes. Could someone experience behavioral changes as a result? Also yes.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that “for people with an SUD, stigma may stem from antiquated and inaccurate beliefs that addiction is a moral failing, instead of what we know it to be—a chronic, treatable disease from which patients can recover and continue to lead healthy lives.”
Treating Addiction as a Brain Disease
The stories above demonstrate the importance of helping people overcome the myths and stigmas involving addiction. While it’s true that someone initially chooses to use drugs or alcohol, the conscious intent isn’t to become addicted.
Some people can frequently use substances without developing a compulsion to misuse. Unfortunately for others, research indicates their brains experience predictable changes with each use, which only creates a stronger dependence on the drug. Other risk factors that contribute to a powerful reliance on a substance include:
- Family behavior and genetics
- Trauma, grief, and PTSD
- Environmental triggers
- Adverse childhood experiences
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that “One in 6 Americans reports experiencing a substance use disorder. There is not one single driving factor that leads to addiction.” The CDC also notes that someone can’t recover from AUD or SUD by simply resisting the temptation through willpower alone. “Recovery may involve medication to help with cravings and withdrawal as well as different forms of therapy. It may require checking into a rehabilitation facility. Recovery can be challenging, but it is possible.”
According to the Addiction Policy Forum, “Like other illnesses, addiction gets worse over time. Similar to stages of cancer, there are levels of severity to describe a substance use disorder.” It adds that “The National Institute on Drug Abuse, the American Medical Association, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine frame substance use disorder as a medical condition.”
Unfortunately, if a person feels discriminated against or judged because of their illness, the less likely they’ll admit to it and seek treatment. NIDA stresses that “to eliminate the stigma surrounding substance use disorders, we need to see these disorders for what they are: chronic, treatable medical conditions. People with substance use disorders deserve compassion and respect—not blame for their illness.”
Resources to Explain Addiction
By explaining AUD and SUD as chronic conditions—just as we would asthma, diabetes, or heart disease—we can help others understand that addiction isn’t a choice. Help your friends, family members, and coworkers learn more by directing them to:
- CDC: Stigma Reduction page
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources: Understanding Addiction
- United Way: 211 Resource Hotline
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Family Resources
- Willingway: Continuing care community groups
We also suggest reviewing this list of books that help explain addiction to children.
How Willingway Can Help
The primary treatment philosophy at Willingway’s Georgia and Florida addiction rehabilitation locations is to use evidence-based practices to provide essential treatment, education, and recovery skills that pave the way to lasting wellness.
Our experts believe addiction is a family illness. So we also offer special resources for family members to understand what their loved one might be going through, as well as provide opportunities for what they need for healing. Ask a member of our admission team for more information.