Finally America is facing addiction

[SHADES_of_IDAHO]

Today The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health marks the first report from a U.S. surgeon general dedicated to substance addiction, raising the profile of the widespread epidemic and advocating proven treatment options for America. Well it's about time!!!
Teaching & Accepting that Addiction isn't evidence of a character flaw or a moral failing.It’s a chronic disease of the brain that deserves the same compassion that any other chronic illness does, like diabetes, cancer or heart disease.
It's also been proposed that Medicare,Medicaid and private insurance cover this disease, also for the government to pass legislation for treatment centers for the young and uninsured.
Addiction really touches everyone’s life. It’s a disease that doesn’t discriminate, and it’s one that’s taking an extraordinary toll on our families and communities across this country and around the world.

[Mr Vervill]

I saw this too, Shades. 1 in 7 will face addiction in America. That's more than 14 percent of the population.

[available]

I read this to Shades, very sad and what will they do about it. Australia is the same and it will only get worse and worse.

I hope you are well and lovely to see you pop in

[aihfl]

Here is a link to the article for the benefit of those who haven't seen it:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016...on-report.html

I'm sorry if the mention of politics makes anyone uncomfortable, but this IS political. Donald Trump's solution to the drug epidemic is his asinine wall on the Mexican border that he thinks is going to keep drugs and drug dealers out. If, and I think we can pretty much expect it, mental health parity as a component of the Affordable Care Act is dismantled, expect the situation to become worse.

[ThirdTimesACharm]

Not to be too contrary, but I've never bought into the whole concept of addiction being a disease. IMHO, far too many problems in life these days are labeled arbitrarily as diseases just so that they can be monetized.

I accept that I have alcoholism, but I do not accept that it's a disease, any more than I accept that having fair skin is a disease.

ThirdTimesACharm

[Matthew6]

Quick, find your safe space. I come here for recovery, but if you go political, you won't be happy, I have lots of opinions too. The Washington Post or Huffington Post is the place for that, not here. I will leave it at that, thank you.

[aihfl]

Quick, find your safe space. I come here for recovery, but if you go political, you won't be happy, I have lots of opinions too. The Washington Post or Huffington Post is the place for that, not here. I will leave it at that, thank you.

Sorry but if you don't like it, you can either make your case or go on your merry way, I don't care which. It is about recovery AND it so happens to be political. So if you don't like what I have to write, put me on your ignore list.

Perhaps you were just a garden variety drunk. If so, you should consider yourself lucky. If you think a silly ass wall is going to stop the opioid epidemic (I got mine completely legally from a doctor), you deserve the government you just voted for. Or maybe you didn't benefit from mental health parity by going to rehab. But if these things happen, it will be a big step backwards for a lot of people.

Frankly, I don't care what you think enough to like or not like it.

I've never bought into the whole concept of addiction being a disease.

You're free to think of yourself as a lowlife because that's the alternative.

[ThirdTimesACharm]

You're free to think of yourself as a lowlife because that's the alternative.

aihfl - I either consider myself diseased, or I think of myself as a lowlife? I choose neither, but certainly thanks for the tips.

[Matthew6]

Sorry but if you don't like it, you can either make your case or go on your merry way, I don't care which. It is about recovery AND it so happens to be political. So if you don't like what I have to write, put me on your ignore list.

Perhaps you were just a garden variety drunk. If so, you should consider yourself lucky. If you think a silly ass wall is going to stop the opioid epidemic (I got mine completely legally from a doctor), you deserve the government you just voted for. Or maybe you didn't benefit from mental health parity by going to rehab. But if these things happen, it will be a big step backwards for a lot of people.

Frankly, I don't care what you think enough to like or not like it.



You're free to think of yourself as a lowlife because that's the alternative.

Well, I guess any topic could be made political, so here we are. First, I never said whether I support a wall or why, but I do. A country without borders is not a country. I never heard it said the only reason for a wall is to keep drugs out. MS13 and ISIS may be good reasons, vetting people coming in may be a good reason. Why take the worst people, it's not the doctors or engineers coming across. Do you know what Mexicos immigration policies are, not open borders. Why should they come here and protest our country and wave their flag, why don't they like Mexico enough to stay and fight to make there homeland better, instead they want to come here and change ours. We shouldn't have to pay for them to be here. Legal immigration is fine, if they can pay their own way, no subsidies.

Second, I guess I'm just a "garden variety drunk", and yeah, I feel very lucky, just what I always hoped I'd be when I grew up. Not sure the exact definition of that is, but I assume it means that I remained out of legal trouble, gainfully employed with a family that respects me. Yes, that's me. In turn I own a business and pay for your beloved Obamacare. Premiums have gone from mid 400$ to over 1200$ a month. Three providers this year alone because the providers continually fail. 10000$ deductible. No primary care physician anymore. Utopia, perfect. That's over 24,000$ (twenty four thousand dollars) a year. Bill Clinton even stated the affordable care act isn't. Does your parity also include me (a 45 year old male) having maternity coverage?

Finally, you got your opioids completely legally? Seems unlikely. 1 doctor and 1 prescription, without hopping around and lying? Maybe the doctor should be in prison for over prescribing so liberally and making you need rehab.

This country is to PC. I am not here to pay for your rehab treatment, abortions, healthcare, food, housing or education. Self sufficient, rugged individuals used to be appreciated, now we are a country of entitled, self centered, what are you going to do for me people.

Yeah, I know, I'm a deplorable racist, so please be more creative in your future name calling than that. Maybe I can strive to be a lowlife too.