Our society still sees addiction as a self induced disease characterized by a lack of willpower and a desire to keep using. Nothing is further from the truth. Research has shed a great deal of light on the biology of this disease, including the mapping of the areas of the brain affected by substance misuse.
I can understand how a non-health care professional would continue to believe the stereotypical view of addiction and the addict. I find it baffling that a trained health care provider would continue to believe it. Professionals are supposed to keep up with current research and published literature in order to maintain their level of expertise. With substance abuse and chemical dependence the number one public health issue, not staying current is unprofessional and unethical. Fortunately, more professional journals are beginning to publish articles dealing with this disease.
RN Magazine has published an article in the April issue. They interviewed me and Patricia Holloran (author of Impaired: A nurses story of addiction and recovery. This is a good start. Those of us in recovery must speak out if we are ever going to change the way this disease is treated.
If nurses don't accept addiction as a disease, how can we ever expect society to accept it?
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