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NEW ULM – A recent survey conducted by Marie Larsen, Manager of Addiction and Substance Abuse Services at the New Ulm Medical Center, points to a lingering stigma associated with addiction.
Larsen’s poll was administered to about 160 people receiving services at the NUMC, both residential and outpatient. About a third of these patients returned responses.
Larsen tried to gauge and analyze patient responses on three broad issues: how stigmatized patients feel; how they measure success in their recovery; and how helpful support groups are to patients.
One major takeaway, Larsen says, is that patients feel they are being treated as “less than”, not as “important” or “worthy” as others because of their addiction.
There are several facets to the stigma, she notes. Respondents feel they are being “looked down on” in a general sense; they also face mistrust and job discrimination. Addicts face the assumption that addiction is a choice: that they are choosing to continue using drugs, stay unhealthy and put their lives in precarious situations; if they only had the will, they could drop their addiction. The public tends to view recovery as an absolute – you are either sober or you are not.
The reality of addiction is more complex, notes Larsen. Evidence suggests that addiction is a disease, on a spectrum of mental diseases. Patients will relapse along the road; recovery is a process.
Staying sober or clean is not the only possible success, the only outcome to be celebrated. Other outcomes – such as holding down a job, paying bills, relating better to and earning the trust of family, being a good parent, even driving legally – are also significant milestones that should get some focus.
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Most “mixed-bag” reactions recorded by Larsen had to do with the value of support groups.
While many respondents appreciated meeting people they can relate to and confide in, others felt peer meetings are “a waste of time,” with not much good advice to be gleaned.
Some meetings are for people to complain about things they cannot change, said one respondent. “But it helps you build a support network and listen to people’s experience, strength and hope,” the respondent added.
Many recovering addicts saw value in attending church and drawing spiritual strength from attendance.
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I asked Larsen about trends that she has personally observed in both drug addiction and treatment.
It seems, she said, that the age of first use of a drug is much lower. Using a chemical at age 10-11 is not uncommon. The typical person receiving treatment used to be a middle-aged alcoholic; now, it’s a young adult – 18, 19, 23 – who has tried every chemical under the sun.
It is very rare, adds Larsen, to see someone just drinking alcohol. Drug use is “more of a mix,” even among adolescents. They might have started with meth around age 12, tried marijuana around 15, and moved on to heroin.
After a hiatus, heroin and opiates appear to be back with a vengeance.
Drugs seem to be more easily available, adds Larsen. More people tend to know people who have tried drugs and know how to obtain them.
Historically, adds Larsen, treatment models have been rigid, finite, based on the premise that a complete recovery can be effected in “12 steps.”
The thinking has evolved toward harm-reduction models – viewing recovery as a process that individuals go through at their own pace.
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Unlike peer support groups, a new local organization called Community Advocates for Recovery (CARE) is trying to approach matters from a different direction.
The group is made up of people whose families or friends have been touched by addiction.
Members seek to support each other while also creating, advocating for, and facilitating the development of community resources which support people in recovery.
The group started in early 2015 and has slowly evolved toward a formal structure, said Gaile, an activist who, like the rest of members, is reluctant to share her last name for fear of stigma.
Broadly, the group is trying to call attention to the stigma of recovery, celebrate the success of those in recovery and acknowledge support groups and churches for their role in it.
Specifically, the members are trying build up small but sometimes critical community supports.
In one example, they met with law enforcement personnel who are often called to respond to crisis situations that are not actual crimes. The conversation centered around response and resulted in changes to the law enforcement process.
The group is also working with churches, to spread information about the nature and societal implications of addiction and recovery.
CARE is focusing much of its efforts on acknowledging and educating employers willing to give people in recovery a second chance and has sponsored presentations to employers.
Getting back into the work force can be a big, game changer for people in recovery, said Gaile.
“The message is still one of hope,” said Gaile. “People can, and do, recover… If we could open just one door, it would be worth it.”
To learn more about CARE and how to join, call Gaile at 507-276-9356.
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An earlier version listed an incorrect number for Gaile. The correct number is 507-276-9356.