The 5 Myths Of Addiction
Guideposts|May 2018

Misconceptions about addicts are a barrier to recovery, says this veteran alcohol and drug counselor.

Mary Spaulding
The 5 Myths Of Addiction

A mom sat sobbing in my counseling office. When she was able to compose herself, she whispered, “I started drinking heavily two days after my daughter’s funeral, and I just couldn’t stop.” Her daughter was in elementary school when she died of cancer.

While working in the inpatient chemical dependency unit at a hospital in Oklahoma City, I met a man who’d been given an ultimatum by his boss and his wife: Either get help for his drinking or he’d be fired and divorced. The man insisted he didn’t have a problem.

Another client was in a relapse prevention group I ran. She knew she had a problem. Her kids had been taken by social services and placed with their grandparents because of her drug abuse. She missed them desperately. She said she had to stay sober to get them back.

I’m a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. In my 25 years of working with people with substance use disorders, I have yet to meet a so-called skid row bum. No gutter drunks either. Or hardcore street junkies.

The people I treat don’t fit the stereotypes about addicts. They’re people like you and me—rich, poor, young, old, married, divorced, from all ethnic backgrounds, each with his or her own unique and heart-wrenching story. They are devastated by their addictions and ashamed of the harm they’ve caused. They want to stop but don’t know how. They come to people like me for help.

Here’s one thing I’ve found that does not help addicts: those stereotypes, what I call the myths about addiction. Addicts are popularly depicted as weak-willed quasi-criminals indifferent to the trail of destruction they leave in their wake.

Bu hikaye Guideposts dergisinin May 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Guideposts dergisinin May 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

GUIDEPOSTS DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
In the Everyday
Guideposts

In the Everyday

Cooking, cleaning, breaking up the kids’ fights... If only I had a few minutes for myself!

time-read
3 dak  |
June/July 2024
Worst-Case Scenario?
Guideposts

Worst-Case Scenario?

I’d had nagging injuries before and always recovered. Why wasn’t I confident that I would get better this time?

time-read
6 dak  |
June/July 2024
Honor Thy Son
Guideposts

Honor Thy Son

I was a Marine officer, a lifer—or so I thought. Then came Patrick

time-read
7 dak  |
June/July 2024
Keeping It Real
Guideposts

Keeping It Real

In an age of social media, we're experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Two friends who met online tell you how to grow an authentic connection

time-read
6 dak  |
June/July 2024
What You Wish For
Guideposts

What You Wish For

She never wanted to see her abusive father again

time-read
7 dak  |
June/July 2024
God's Pillow
Guideposts

God's Pillow

In 2016, the Soberanes Fire in Northern California was the costliest ever in the United States. It almost cost me my life, despite the promise I made to my wife

time-read
7 dak  |
June/July 2024
"I Heard You Praying"
Guideposts

"I Heard You Praying"

As a hospital chaplain, I had seen hopeless cases. But never one more seemingly hopeless than this

time-read
5 dak  |
June/July 2024
"I Love You, Dad!"
Guideposts

"I Love You, Dad!"

Some of your favorite GUIDEPOSTS writers share what they learned from their fathers

time-read
6 dak  |
June/July 2024
Harold and Me
Guideposts

Harold and Me

They’re nearly all gone now, the generation we call The Greatest.” This woman’s mission was to honor one of them

time-read
7 dak  |
June/July 2024
The Race Before Her
Guideposts

The Race Before Her

For this Olympic champion, success bred her greatest fear. How five verses set her free

time-read
9 dak  |
June/July 2024