Some Quick Links for WWW Recovery/Addiction Information

Problems with chemical dependency permeate our society. Addiction is a disease. Illegal drugs are only a part of the picture. Alcohol, for example, IS A DRUG! Prescription drugs that are legally prescribed by physicians can and do produce addictions. Xanax, to give one example, is commonly prescribed by physicians who have little understanding of its dangerous mental and physical side effects. Their ignorance can kill.

Denial, as the rap song says, "It ain't a river in Egypt!" If you use alcohol or any other class of drug for relaxation or "recreation", there is a high probability that it does or will have negative impacts on your life. For example, one out of six Americans who drink will become addicted to alcohol! Even those who do not become addicted run a high probability of having problems.

Addiction is a "cunning, baffling, and powerful disease" that has physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. Research in neurophysiology of the brain has revealed much about its genetic and biological basis. The combination of this biological research with advances in psychology offer promise of greater understanding and treatment for the millions of Americans afflicted with addictions. Socially, the less informed and biased elements of our culture view addiction as a "moral weakness" rather than the disease it really is. This view must be changed.

I know from personal experience the destructive nature of addictive disease. I am a recovering addict. Not only have I personally experienced the horrors of addiction, but I have seen friends, family members, and countless acquaintances die from this insidious disease. As an educator, I see the pain of students who fight the disease. I see it in their eyes, I see it in their attendance patterns, I see it in their failures in dealing with their responsibilities. They think I believe their stories of having the flu, a cold, or some other ailment. Some come to me for help. Many have husbands, wives, or children who have the disease. This disease destroys dreams, steals opportunities, and kills people.

Society (including the legal system, employers, family members, friends, etc.) is generally ignorant and close-minded about the disease of addiction. Self-righteous, indignation is their problem, not mine or yours. If you have the disease like I do, you must seek treatment. Don't let the views of the ignorant prevent you from seeking the medical treatment and social support that you need. A definition of "insanity" often quoted in recovery meetings is "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results." By this definition, our society is clearly "insane" in the primitive dogmatic approach used to deal with addicted citizens.

If you feel you or someone you love may have a problem with chemical dependency, please realize that there is help. Don't be ashamed to seek help! No one would think twice about going to a doctor for diabetes, heart problems, or some other physical disease. Addiction is a disease.  If you have trouble believing this, consider the fact that health insurance companies pay for treatment of addicted individuals.  Health insurance companies DO NOT PAY for anything that is not truly a disease!  Just as a heart patient is not considered responsible for his/her disease, addicts are not responsible for their disease!  We ARE responsible, however, for our recovery! I can direct you to good sources of help, if you will just ask.

Bruce G. Stewart

bstewart@mscok.edu