Substance Use Support

We’ve known for decades that alcoholism is a disease. We treat it as a moral failure. Sure, some people can drink and not become alcoholics. Others cannot, despite how hard they might try.

We’ve known for decades that nicotine is addictive. We still allow it to be sold openly, despite it’s delivery systems being known to cause cancer. Then we want to treat people who have become addicted as morally failed, as too weak to stop.

We've known gambling is often an addiction. We allow gambling venues to advertise publicly, even as they announce treatments are available for gambling addiction. It’s like telling people, “Yes, you can gamble. If you become addicted, however, you have a problem. Shame on you! Here’s a number you could call if you weren’t so morally corrupt as to need help.”

We wield shame to condemn and ostracize people for addictions we know are a disease. They fall into the same real as Substance Use Disorder. [Not Substance Abuse Disorder: people are abusing substances. They are being abused by them.]

We know shame is not an effective strategy for healing and bringing about personal change.

We know shame increases suffering and creates barriers to treatment.

Even so, we still deal with people who have become addicted to substances as morally inferior. We treat them as though they woke up on morning saying, “You know? I’m going to become addicted to opiates, alcohol, gambling, or nicotine today. That’s my new goal in life.”

A better way forward begins with eliminating shame as our knee-jerk response. It includes setting up safe spaces where people can find hope, acceptance, love, and healing. Places where they can access Narcan, get clean needles, hear that someone actually cares about them. Healing begins where there is viable hope, where there is support, where shame is off the table.



— ©Copyright 2024, Christopher B. Harbin 



http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/

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