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Facing Addiction in America: A Recap of the Surgeon General’s Report

Addiction and alcoholism can come knocking abruptly for some and takes its time deconstructing lives for others. One way or another, the day comes where we wake up and there is no denying there is some sort of a problem. It’s blatantly right in our faces and can’t be ignored anymore. Most of us have tried to deceive ourselves and live in a world of denial for the longest time. Eventually, the cat is pulled out of the bag and we have to choose between misery or recovery. Given the choice, it’s recommended to pick the sobriety side of the road when facing addiction in America.

A Country Looking to Feel Comfortably Numb

When skimming through and summarizing the Surgeon General’s report, much of the obvious and what we fear the most stands out: addicts and alcoholics are growing rapidly in numbers as more and more people begin to binge into their substance of choice. You see, the problem with drugs is that they are too good now. Plain and simple. The narcotics specifically have changed in chemical format. Science and technology continue to develop only meanwhile to help produce more potent and dangerous forms of certain substances. Meanwhile, brothers and sisters plagued with this disease of alcoholic thinking are dropping dead left and right.  The disease of addiction ropes the individual into chemical dependency and/or forming other habits that can be harmful to a person’s health and actually is often the demise of many. It tells the affected person to seek harmful patterns and behaviors despite the detrimental results that follow because of poor choice making. As the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous says, “Remember that we deal with alcohol- cunning, baffling, powerful.” It takes a strong mental hold and can sway whichever way we go with every step. You see, as human beings, we have the power of choice. We have the option to pick left instead of right, and we can usually pick up what is right and wrong in most situations. Coupled along with our addiction, we have the power to make our world come crashing down on us in a matter of a few split seconds. That’s what this disease does and that’s what it wants. Our power of choice becomes severely clouded while processing all the intoxicants we stuff into our bodies.

While briefing “Facing Addiction in America,” the statistics tend to blow your mind and raise an overflowing level of curiosity. One of the more memorable statistics standing out had to do with the amount of money our economy spends to kick back and feel good for a little bit. There was an estimated $249 billion spent in alcohol use and an epic 193 billion spent in illicit narcotic usage. Those numbers are insane, specifically when you really do some math and look at how in debt our country is as a whole. That build up of nearly half a trillion could really help to start knocking chunks out of our national debt, but what a silly dream that is to conjure. Unfortunately, there is no method available to enforce such things even if such congressional laws were passed. History would only go on to repeat itself in a manner to that mirroring the prohibition era.

american flag with heroin

The best part about the Surgeon General’s report is the advocacy for treating and helping those facing addiction in America and suffering from untreated alcoholism. It’s been openly admitted in the report that the diseases of alcoholism and addiction have not been treated in an effective manner regarding them as only a minor health issue. As time and studies continue on, it is becoming abundantly clear that often times, medical help and conditioning is needed in serious cases of alcoholism. This can be true from a physical stance while detoxifying, or to a mental degree when therapeutic action is needed. Another rising factor to add for helping treat alcoholism is the fact that roughly 40% of addicts and alcoholics are dual diagnosis and deal with another mental disorder as well. It just comes with the territory. Addiction is a warlord that when awoken, will take a hold of the addict or alcoholic’s soul. It squeezes the life out of you and destroys all ambition or anything else one might have going for themselves. It’s a disease in the sense that it never goes away for the addict/alcoholic. There isn’t any known cure for it except working some sort of a 12 step program and attending self-help meetings such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous. Even that right there isn’t a cure but only a solution that treats the disease as needed.

It is of the general conclusion that people need a little help to get by in this life. In the report, it is agreed upon that our country needs to unite to turn over the stigma regarding this awful disease. It is agreed upon that the majority of our justice department is filled with addiction-riddled crimes and hospitals have more health concerned addicts and alcoholics than they know how to deal with. At the end of the day when facing addiction in America, what it really boils down to is how much you want that peace of clarity that you can enjoy life with. We addicts/alcoholics try to convince ourselves that we are still enjoying the using lifestyle, but deep down we know how empty and exhausting it feels. We know in our hearts that there is a happier way of life without the burden of needing to ingest chemicals 24/7. Sometimes it really just takes that leap of faith peppered with hope and the results can be extravagant beyond one’s wildest dreams.

Don’t Be a Statistic in the Recap

This ferocious monster of a disease will take anybody it can get. Some are able to live the party lifestyle and at the end of the day walk away from it all and still maintain their sanity. For many of us, this isn’t even close to the case. Our lives revolve around the idea of consuming substances and we struggle to find the good in situations we continuously delve into. There is hope though and struggling doesn’t have to be the guarantee. If you or a loved one has been struggling with getting a firm grasp on sobriety and need detoxification, please call 1-800-481-8457 or visit oarcstaging.wpengine.com. Our teams of specialists are waiting by to help figure out what options are best for sending your life is a comfortable direction that you can proudly stand behind.

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