To the Good Life

By Pam Heany

     There is no lack of encouragement to indulge in "the good life" in our society. Unfortunately "the good life" has come to be associated with the harmful use of alcohol.

     Everywhere you look (on TV, in magazines, on billboards)-a sort of conditioning takes place.

    And it's not subtle! Advertisements seem to scream "alcohol is fun, alcohol is sexy, it 's the way to fit in - and even climb the ladder to success!" Many of these commercials are directed at our youth - who incidentally are not even old enough to purchase it.

     It all looks like such normal behavior and a part of our American culture. Some adds make alcohol use seem patriotic, heart warming . . . even signifying a coming of age. Yet at least one out of ten people will develop a disease as a result of normal use. Being influenced by misleading information that depicts some very sick behavior as normal worsens the problem.

     Is partying seven days a week normal use? Is slashing your tires so you don't drive after you (apparently intentionally) drink too much an example of "responsible" drinking?

     If a person engages in these purportedly normal behaviors, and has an abnormal reaction (ie. becomes dependent and has all kinds of adverse consequences that might include anxiety, depression, poor health, car accidents, divorce, job loss) what does society do with them?  Offer help? Probably not.

     Most likely society will shame, stigmatize, and eventually even incarcerate the individual. In jail, this "criminal" will have plenty of time to sort out what went wrong - after all, they were simply engaging in socially acceptable behaviors.

     Compare this to another situation. People with diabetes are subjected to advertisements showing America indulging in all kinds of excess, enjoying super sized portions of delicious, rich foods. Many people are able to moderate their enjoyment - or even get away with such excess with no serious health consequences (at least for many years.) But people with a certain body chemistry are not able to indulge in this way for even a short period of time - as it could cost them their life.

     What happens if a person with this biological abnormality (diabetes) consumes food that causes their body to react differently than others do when they consume the same product? Help is made available! They might be hospitalized until stable, assessed for appropriate medication if necessary, and given information on diet and life style changes that can facilitate keeping their disease in remission. This prescription, if adhered to, will assist the person with diabetes in living a healthy, normal and productive life, and achieve the expected life span.

     Why is the same help not made available to someone who has an abnormal reaction to alcohol? Especially since cultural messages seem to be placing about as much emphasis on it as  it does on food.

     We used to have excellent help for addictions, and untold numbers are still in recovery today because of the care they received. ( Michigan   is currently tied for last place on the portion of the budget it spends on education, prevention, and treatment.) Help for people with substance use disorders has eroded so much in the last decade that there are currently no detox units in Genesee County . If detox (a medical emergency) is needed the person must seek help in another county, or go to emergency. That's just the first hurdle. Effective treatment for addiction goes much farther than detox. Education, understanding, problem resolution and support are all part of treating this disease, just as they are part of treatment for diabetes, heart disease or any number of other illnesses.

     Why do we shame, stigmatize, and hold responsible someone with the disease of addiction, but not people with other disorders that are often the result of life style choices? Especially when people who develop it are just engaging in socially acceptable (and encouraged) behaviors? Why not offer these individuals the same help?

     Society is the one who pays the toll in the end. Wouldn't it make more sense to put dollars into providing treatment and helping people recover, than to spend it on the multi-billion dollar carnage of untreated addiction?  Just think of the expense created on unsafe highways, in broken homes, in the work place, and eventually the medical expense of treating a myriad of health issues that result from rampant addiction.

     I am passionate about this issue because through education, compassion and support I was given a chance to arrest my disease of alcoholism. Had the doors shut in my face, I'm not sure where I would be today. Maybe I would have kept buying into societies message that "the good life" is found in a bottle. Maybe I wouldn't have had the opportunity to help others with the same affliction find their way. Maybe I would be dead, instead of advocating for fairness in treatment for people with substance use disorders.

     Most people can enjoy alcohol with few adverse effects. They use it to enhance their life, and it is their privilege and right. But for some, it becomes our life - blotting out everything else. Help should be made available for them. The public needs to be aware of the signs that warn  dependency is developing. Today, commercials mock those very warning signs - so how is one even to know the red flags unless programs exist to teach them?

     Unless this trend is reversed - one out of ten people will continue to find that "the good life," depicted so prevalently in our society, could turn out to be a very cruel life in deed.