The American Society of Addiction Medicine has made something very clear this week and it’s all over the news. It’s on msbnc.com, ” Addiction now defined as brain disorder, not behavior issue.” It’s on yahoo.com, “A brain disorder, not just bad behavior, ” and it’s on The Fix, “The Dramatic New View of Addiction”. It’s everywhere and I’m excited about it.
Addiction isn’t just a willpower thing, or a behavior thing, it’s a brain disorder. A doctor from the National Institute on Drug Abuse says that, “The behavior problem is a result of brain dysfunction.”
Now I’m not a brain surgeon or scientist but I’m glad to hear they are getting this message out there. Why you might ask? Because it’s time for people to stop looking down on those who struggle with addiction and realize it’s got something to do with their brain. And more people who struggle deserve the opportunity to change rather than the fear of changing out of fear of what others will think.
When I was a little girl my grandmother would say, “The trick is to just have half of what’s on your plate.” Do you know how hard that is for a food addict? Or you try not to drink and then when you pick up a drink you want more, or you pick up sugar and you want more. You can’t just tell an addict to stop doing something. Our brains just don’t work that way, especially if we’re in the middle of it. When I was in college, I did not want to drink because I knew what it would do to me. But instead of taking care of myself, I drank more because I thought it was my fault that I was always out of control with it. I thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t just drink like everyone else. If I knew as a kid, that my brain just worked a little differently – or before I got to college that alcohol may not agree with me? I don’t know for sure, but I think it would have made a difference in my choices. Did I listen to my Dad when he told me the gene was in our family? No. I just tried to prove I didn’t have it. Would I not have given into peer pressure? Probably not. But if it was more accepted on college campuses and in society in general, I probably would have been more willing to take a step back and make a different choice. I probably would have sought some help if I knew I could get it…
But you know what? I found this out when I did, when I got into recovery and I’m so grateful for it. I’m grateful that this organization is making it known this the idea that this is NOT just a willpower or social issue – is awesome. More people deserve freedom from their addictions instead of public scorn. They deserve to get their needs met, not go further in their addiction because they are ashamed of it. Do I think we can make it an excuse? No. I think it’s just another thing that can help us know ourselves better, more evidence that we don’t have to blame our willpower. More evidence that we CAN get help for our addictions if we struggle with them…