Seeking Comfort or Solving Problems

By: Robert Schmidt, M.A.

“My name is Robert and I’m an addict.”

In the 10 plus years that I have been clean and sober I have made that statement about myself out loud hundreds of time before speaking about personal experiences regarding substance abuse and recovery processes. That one phrase is both introduction to a topic and a claim to authority over the subject matter that follows.

It is also an expression of solidarity with a group of people and their conception of a particular problem. That always makes me cringe slightly.

So, what do I mean when I say I’m an addict? Do I mean to say that I have a disease?

In 1987, the American Medical Association proclaimed that drug dependencies including alcoholism were diseases. Not based on biological evidence the proclamation was an attempt to shift the burden of responsibility from the criminal justice system to the heath-care system.

There are many people in academia and outside of it who argue the various points on whether addiction is a disease as if there were actually some a priori truth to be discovered regarding how well the one theoretical construct matches the other and if it really matters to an addict or alcoholic choosing a life in recovery.

In the meantime, addicts are dying every day.

I no longer find the debate compelling. I am only interested in how an individual’s beliefs about his or her use effects the chances for recovery.

When I was a teenager I used to steal money from my father’s wallet while he took his morning shower. I also stole money from my friends and their parents. I justified this behavior by telling myself “I have an addiction to feed.” At that time I thought I was biologically propelled to addiction and that my behaviors were a result of some genetic misfortune. I exempted myself from feelings of guilt on these grounds for years. I was also excusing myself from any pressure to act toward changing the addictive behaviors.

In addition to the AMA proclamation, I think that part of the reason the disease model has permeated the popular narrative on addictions is Alcoholics Anonymous, and a misrepresentation thereof.

The first of the AA 12 steps states: “we admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.” Many people in and around AA take this very literally and disregard the fact that the next 11 steps all detail a process of claiming power back from alcohol.

This is done by taking personal inventory, making amends, and helping others do the same in order to seek out a spiritual awakening.

A good friend once told me that addiction is like an elevator going down, and that if we want to we can get off at any floor.

I think the disease model isn’t helpful if/when it is being use to explain away behaviors that can be treated and extinguished. I think it is one explanation that can offer comfort to families in pain, by why seek comfort when the problem can be solved through action?