My OperaCriminalizing a potentially fatal disease
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 3:12:52 PM
What separates us from other living creatures? Our ability to control our natural "urges".
Our instincts and urges are designed to help us survive and propagate the species. Anything that promotes those 2 things are seen as "good" by our lower brain. If we lack control over these urges we definitely will have a difficult time fitting in to society. Watch a toddler and you'll discover the way a person with no control over their urges and desires behaves.
As we grow up, we receive negative and positive feedback from the environment and the people in the environment. If we live in a family (and society) where respect and responsibility are the norm, then we learn to control our urges. When a toddler touches a hot object, they learn pretty quickly that it's not wise to repeat that action. If a child cuts classes and is reprimanded by their parents and other adults, they will learn it's not wise to continue to repeat that behavior. And so it goes. We experiment, we receive positive or negative feedback, we learn, we grow.
Unless there is something "wrong" with the brain.
Learning and control of impulses and urges depend on an intact, properly functioning brain. Throw off any part of this intricate, beautifully designed organ and things begin to get dicey. Brain injury, a tumor, or alteration in the chemistry can result in significant alterations in consciousness, awareness, learning, motivations, emotions, and behaviors. Repair the injury, remove the tumor, restore chemical balance and most people will return to "themselves". Unless these is a permanent alteration.
Chemical dependence, commonly labeled with the pejorative "addiction", significantly alters the person's brain chemistry and pathways. The areas that are altered are involved in decision making, behavior, learning, motivation, and survival. As the disease progresses, the alterations become more profound, leading to increasingly bizarre and out of control behaviors. The brain begins to "see" the chemical as necessary for survival. Anyone involved in a situation in which survival is in jeopardy will INSTINCTIVELY do what is necessary for survival...including illegal behavior.
Early recognition of the signs of dependence (the signs of "substance abuse" could mean dependence is likely unless interrupted) are the red flags that intervention and evaluation are needed to stop the progression. Unfortunately, we believe many of the myths and misinformation associated with substance abuse and chemical dependence. We are so afraid of the stigma associated with the disease that most of us ignore the signs, hoping the person will get through this "phase". Since dependnece is a progressive disease, doing nothing only allows it to progress. As most of us know, allowing a disease to progress makes it more and more difficult to treat. Eventually successful treatment is impossible.
A good example of how treatable, even curable diseases can end up in death if ignored happened in my family 25 years ago. My brother-in-law was a hunter. He and his sons would spend a fair amount of time in the woods. It was no big deal to pick ticks off each other when they were hunting. That proved to be untrue, and fatal.
My brother-in-law called one Sunday afternoon. He wanted to know what he could do to stop a bad case of diarrhea. Since my ex-wife and I are both nurses it wasn't unusual to get this kind of call. When he told me he had tried every over the counter remedy to stop the diarrhea without success, I knew it was more than just simple diarrhea. I told him to go to the ER right now, or see his doc the next morning. He called the next afternoon to tell us he had been admitted to the hosital. His liver was enlarged and he felt like crap. We visited him as soon as we were off work. When we left, my ex told me he had confided his fear of dying. We both played that fear off since he was only 38 years old and in good health.
Dave died that Thursday morning from multi-organ failure. Why? Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, an infection spread by ticks. It's treatable when caught early enough. Oral antibiotics will result in a complete cure (his son was treated and has a beautiful family today). Dave simply ignored the signs too long before seeking help.
We do this far too often with those exhibiting signs of abuse and possible dependence. We "hope" this is only a phase, something to get through. Once they begin committing criminal acts to feed their growing dependence, we lock them away.
Here's the problem. I'm unaware of any chronic, progressive, potentially fatal disease being successfully treated by incarceration alone. It's time to change the way we approach this disease.
Our instincts and urges are designed to help us survive and propagate the species. Anything that promotes those 2 things are seen as "good" by our lower brain. If we lack control over these urges we definitely will have a difficult time fitting in to society. Watch a toddler and you'll discover the way a person with no control over their urges and desires behaves.
As we grow up, we receive negative and positive feedback from the environment and the people in the environment. If we live in a family (and society) where respect and responsibility are the norm, then we learn to control our urges. When a toddler touches a hot object, they learn pretty quickly that it's not wise to repeat that action. If a child cuts classes and is reprimanded by their parents and other adults, they will learn it's not wise to continue to repeat that behavior. And so it goes. We experiment, we receive positive or negative feedback, we learn, we grow.
Unless there is something "wrong" with the brain.
Learning and control of impulses and urges depend on an intact, properly functioning brain. Throw off any part of this intricate, beautifully designed organ and things begin to get dicey. Brain injury, a tumor, or alteration in the chemistry can result in significant alterations in consciousness, awareness, learning, motivations, emotions, and behaviors. Repair the injury, remove the tumor, restore chemical balance and most people will return to "themselves". Unless these is a permanent alteration.
Chemical dependence, commonly labeled with the pejorative "addiction", significantly alters the person's brain chemistry and pathways. The areas that are altered are involved in decision making, behavior, learning, motivation, and survival. As the disease progresses, the alterations become more profound, leading to increasingly bizarre and out of control behaviors. The brain begins to "see" the chemical as necessary for survival. Anyone involved in a situation in which survival is in jeopardy will INSTINCTIVELY do what is necessary for survival...including illegal behavior.
Early recognition of the signs of dependence (the signs of "substance abuse" could mean dependence is likely unless interrupted) are the red flags that intervention and evaluation are needed to stop the progression. Unfortunately, we believe many of the myths and misinformation associated with substance abuse and chemical dependence. We are so afraid of the stigma associated with the disease that most of us ignore the signs, hoping the person will get through this "phase". Since dependnece is a progressive disease, doing nothing only allows it to progress. As most of us know, allowing a disease to progress makes it more and more difficult to treat. Eventually successful treatment is impossible.
A good example of how treatable, even curable diseases can end up in death if ignored happened in my family 25 years ago. My brother-in-law was a hunter. He and his sons would spend a fair amount of time in the woods. It was no big deal to pick ticks off each other when they were hunting. That proved to be untrue, and fatal.
My brother-in-law called one Sunday afternoon. He wanted to know what he could do to stop a bad case of diarrhea. Since my ex-wife and I are both nurses it wasn't unusual to get this kind of call. When he told me he had tried every over the counter remedy to stop the diarrhea without success, I knew it was more than just simple diarrhea. I told him to go to the ER right now, or see his doc the next morning. He called the next afternoon to tell us he had been admitted to the hosital. His liver was enlarged and he felt like crap. We visited him as soon as we were off work. When we left, my ex told me he had confided his fear of dying. We both played that fear off since he was only 38 years old and in good health.
Dave died that Thursday morning from multi-organ failure. Why? Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, an infection spread by ticks. It's treatable when caught early enough. Oral antibiotics will result in a complete cure (his son was treated and has a beautiful family today). Dave simply ignored the signs too long before seeking help.
We do this far too often with those exhibiting signs of abuse and possible dependence. We "hope" this is only a phase, something to get through. Once they begin committing criminal acts to feed their growing dependence, we lock them away.
Here's the problem. I'm unaware of any chronic, progressive, potentially fatal disease being successfully treated by incarceration alone. It's time to change the way we approach this disease.
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