Why are the signs and symptoms of addiction’s disruptive behaviors often wrapped up in beautiful ribbon-phrases like, “It’s just their personality? They don’t have a problem. They’re just eccentric.” Or, “They are just wired differently from the rest of us and need a drink for ‘medication’ to cope.” And, “They enjoy their drinks. Don’t make a scene. Can’t we all just get along for one day a year?”
The Holidays are approaching. The relatives are gathering. The stress is escalating. How often do we pretend that addiction around the holiday table is not really there and who should we truly hold accountable? Is playing the Blame Game a wise option?
Does it appear the tables get turned on the people who do not have the addiction?
If you answered “Yes!” to the above question, know that this is part of the smoke and mirrors of deflection and avoidance associated with addiction. People with addictions are master manipulators. The person with the problem can make you question your motives, judgment, and sanity in order to shift the negative attention away from them, so they do not have to take responsibility for behavior that controls them and creates disruption at family gatherings. Their focus is their addiction.
You become the bad guy for not accepting or ignoring their disruptive behavior.
My Living Your Dream Column guest writer is Scott Stevens, author of five alcohol, health, and recovery books and the principal of alcohologist.com. He is a founding influencer of the world’s largest medical portal, healthtap.com., the Chair for Addiction Science 2018 in London, UK, and Chaired the 2018 International Conference on Addiction Therapy and Clinical Reports in Paris, France, where his latest book, Look What Dragged the Cat In was officially launched.
Scott Stevens knows where the bait-and-switch behind smoke-and-mirrors of addiction began and is here to share his knowledge with you about the Blame Game. You may think you know the answers, and you may be in the right church, but sitting in the wrong pew….
Blame the Opioid Maker? Right Church, Wrong Pew.
A new article appearing in VOX notes that one member of the Sackler family, longtime overseers of Purdue Pharma, is helping the treatment industry clean up what the opioid crisis cat dragged in. Richard Sackler, former president of Purdue Pharma, is listed on the patent application for a new form of buprenorphine. Buprenorphine (trade names Buprenex, Butrans, Probuphine, and Belbuca) is an opioid agonist used in the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. The new product is a fast-dissolving wafer, designed to keep those administered the dose from cheeking the medication and sharing/selling it.
On the one hand, ‘Shouldn’t we be applauding ANY help going to those who need it?’ is the easy question. That question is buried under the emotion of a very traumatic crisis, however. One editorial on the article went so far as to call Sackler the ‘devil incarnate,’ And the spin on the article is that Purdue helped spawn the opioid crisis with its drug, OxyContin, and Stackler made bank on that drug and now seeks to profit from cleaning up the mess. Not so fast. OxyContin and Purdue are not the drug makers that created this crisis. The drug-makers that created this crisis, every crisis before it, and the crises emerging now, are not in the pharmaceutical industry.
The drug makers who have groomed us for drug use, drug abuse, and drug addiction make the gateway drug- alcohol.
Two-thirds of drug abusers identify alcohol as the first drug they used, according to an American Addiction Centers 2018 survey. The rest of us learned to take drugs from our cultural acceptance and endorsement of drug use aka drinking. What we ignore, we permit, what we permit, we condone. The blame-game, legislation, lawsuits, etc. target Big Pharma, sketchy doctors, China, and dope dealers.
Again, Right Church, Wrong Pew.
Look What Dragged the Cat In details how the opioid crisis (spoiler: it’s a crisis, not an epidemic) really emerged (spoiler: it wasn’t the Sacklers) and how we can use the tragedy of this crisis to prevent the next one. Holidays are filled with joy… and stress from reconnecting with family. It is part of the family package. But, addiction fuels the fires of stress. So what is a person to do to help an addicted loved-one? What kind of gift do you get someone who only wants what is responsible for their addiction and misery?
Get them help. But, before you help others, read and educate yourself on the problem.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration known as SAMHSA’s has a National Helpline that is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. SAMHSA also has a Treatment Referral Routing Service, or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 which is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information. For more information on how to help someone with an addiction problem call the number provided above. Also, visit the online treatment locators. Addiction is something extremely difficult to overcome on your own. Consider entering a drug rehab program in Denver. The expert staff and calm atmosphere will make the rehab process run a lot smoother.
For the Holidays choose not to get caught up in Smoke and Mirrors or the Blame Game.
Help your addicted loved ones find the assistance they need even if it involves a family holiday intervention. Perhaps that intervention followed by treatment can be your loving gift to them – The Gift of Life.
It has been my great pleasure and honor to have Scott Stevens as my guest writer, and I invite Scott to return and share more of his research and insights with us on addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Below, for your viewing pleasure, is an exclusive LIVE Video Podcast Interview with Scott Stevens discussing these issues and solutions in depth on the Kat Kanavos Show. Please enjoy the show.
Article Research:
- https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/9/7/17831710/richard-sackler-opioid-epidemic-buprenorphine
- https://www.purduepharma.com/
- Alcohologist.com, http://alcoholauthor.blogspot.com/
- National Helpline | Samhsa – Substance Abuse And Mental .., https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
- Look What Dragged the Cat In; https://www.amazon.com/Look-What-Dragged-Scott-Stevens/dp/1634922506/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?&_encoding=UTF8
- https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Photo Credit: Photo of book and author used with author’s and publisher’s permission.
Wow! What a powerful look into a highly charged topic. So important for all of us to remember that there’s always something positive you can do to make a difference in your own life and the life of every person you encounter. Thanks for sharing this wisdom, Kat.
I see it everyday. Thank you for a EYES WIDE OPEN POST
Thank you for your comment Larry. After going through cancer treatment 3 times I have met many women who now have addiction challenges due to opioid pain pills. Thanks again for your comment.
This drug is the $250 billion elephant in the room. Thanks for your comment, Larry.
Point well taken, Scott.
Wow Kathleen – what a powerful piece. I love how there is no sugar coating here….it’s time for all of us to open our eyes wide.
Thank you Anita. Author Scott Stevens is powerful at “telling it like it is.” Thanks again for your comment.
Thanks Kat 🙂
My pleasure because it is true.
What causes problems, is one. I appreciate your interest in the article, Anita. Thanks
I guess I never looked deeply enough into where opioid addiction began. One tends to think it’s created by the doctors who are too free with prescriptions, which allow their patients to become addicted. So I’m grateful for another perspective which shows the majority of cases start with alcohol abuse.
Very informative and enlightening article. Thank you for sharing, Kat.
I was surprised by this as well, Yvonne. I have heard it said that alcohol is the gateway to other addictions. Now I also know why. Yvonne A. Jones Thanks so much for your comment.
My pleasure, Kat. Love to read your articles.
Thank you for your thoughts, Yvonne. The medical field’s hands aren’t squeaky clean, but they have far less to do with creating the current crisis. We we’re groomed for drug taking and self-medicating.
Good point Scott! Thanks.