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1/15/01 Re: Treatment with teeth, LA Times, 1/15/01. The author of the editorial has great insight into the ineffectiveness of coerced treatment of addictions under prop 36 as well as the various conflicts of interest among the involved intervention groups. But, how do we go from insight to effectiveness? By reviewing the false assumptions on addiction etiology and so-called treatment we have so long blindly accepted as fact. The principle: If the paradigm is wrong, the policies will be wrong. Policies include treatment and programs. The premise behind the current addiction paradigm is conscious choice and environmental/psychological influences. This incorrect premise leads to intervention and treatment based on society changing and controlling the addict as well as decreasing availability of drugs (outside-in orientation), the drug war. This premise and the its derived policies have been wrong for 100 years. Nonetheless, we continue to use them. The actual premise behind addictions is genetic, neurobiological, unconscious, and inexorable. To intervene on this kind of premise requires an about face on mind set. Intervention for a disease like this requires the patient to acknowledge, realize, surrender and accept (inside-out orientation) for recovery to occur. The two premises as well as their derived interventions are diametrically opposed. Until we replace the current incorrect and invalid addiction paradigm with the correct paradigm, we will perpetuate the problems of addiction no matter what policies we devise. Adopt the correct paradigm and the problems dissolve spontaneously. This insight, the correct insight, gives society a successful option to current failure if it chooses to appreciate it, but first it needs to know about it. Do society a favor and let them know about it. |
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You can take the addiction out of the hypoic, but you can't take the Hypoism out of the addict.
