Practitioners' Misguided Views on Addiction Exacerbate Patients' Struggles

Drug and alcohol abuse contribute to thousands of deaths every year, impacting the lives of many, including the people suffering from an addiction as well as their loved ones. Healthcare professionals have effective tools, including medications, rehabilitation and psychotherapy, for drug and alcohol disorders that can prevent many of these deaths. However, these tools are not utilized nearly enough and many of the people who could benefit from these tools do not seek them out. One contributing factor is the perception that surrounds a person in recovery, particularly if an individual has relapsed.

Relapse is a reality for an estimated 40% to 60% of people in recovery, according to drugabuse.gov. Relapse is often viewed as a natural component to the recovery process. With relapses being so common, especially during the first year of recovery, it is important to avoid exacerbating such delicate situations. A person who has relapsed may already feel they have failed themselves and their family. Education and effective treatments, thankfully, have produced some gains made in reducing the stigma surrounding relapse.

A myriad of components contributes to individuals relapsing, and an unfortunate factor is a societal misunderstanding of the disease of addiction, in which blame is placed on the individual for “choosing” to relapse. Even though medical professionals have labeled addiction as a brain disorder with behavioral components, many people in the healthcare field still view addiction and relapse as a moral weakness or a flaw in the person’s character.

Healthcare providers who hold onto such views around relapse and addiction may provide substandard care or even reject seeing patients seeking treatment. People showing symptoms of intoxication or withdrawal have been told to leave emergency rooms by staff who are afraid of the person’s behavior, or providers assume the person is manipulative and drug-seeking. People who experience this treatment internalize it and feel shame, further deterring them from seeking out the treatment needed to recover from addiction.

Alleviating the stigma around addiction and relapse is not an easy task, as these views are ingrained in societal norms. If healthcare providers do not have the proper training to care for people with substance use disorders, they may be at a loss as to how to interact with someone in withdrawal or under the influence. It is important that people across healthcare, from providers in emergency rooms to physicians, nurses, psychologists, other allied health professionals and administrative staff be trained in caring competently for people with substance use disorders. Medical professionals should treat every patient with dignity, respect and compassion.

There also must be wider recognition that changes to the brain in addiction are influenced by factors outside of the person’s control. These factors include genetics, the reward system/brain circuitry and neuroplastic changes, the environment in which a person was raised, current environmental and social influences, amongst others. Medical care and comprehensive treatment often are needed to provide a successful recovery plan. When people fighting addiction are stigmatized, particularly by healthcare professionals meant to help them, it contributes to the cycle that surrounds their disease.

Devin Lincenberg, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialty training in health psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy. She currently serves as the program director and clinical lead at Recovia, an outpatient treatment center in Arizona.