Hey, it’s Julie, talking with Joanne Peterson from Learn to Cope again.
It’s been fifteen years since Learn to Cope was formed. Learn to Cope is a peer led, family support system that serves families whose loved one is struggling with addiction. My family is one of the many beneficiaries of Joanne Peterson’s weekly meetings (Quincy contingent).
Learn to Cope has an event coming up October 17 to recognize those who’ve made things better along the way, to celebrate the friendships that have developed and to remember those who’ve lost their lives to addiction. I thought now would be a good time to find out how much progress has been made in the last fifteen years regarding addiction, addiction treatment, the stigma of being addicted and the role of big pharma in the current opioid epidemic. (Hint: Big pharma is guilty as hell: read here)
What I learned from this conversation is compassion is still in short supply for those who are struggling with addiction and for the people who love them.
We can do better. We must do better. And, IMHO, it’s going to take a substantial paradigm shift regarding how we understand a human being’s authority over their own body in all matters.
So many of us, all over the planet, use substances for a myriad of reasons. The most socially acceptable in this society is alcohol. But you and I both know cannabis, cocaine, speed, hallucinogens, opiates, sedatives, tranquilizers etc etc etc are also used recreationally. It isn’t until the substance become ‘problematic’ that the person imbibing is culturally negatively labeled. Otherwise it’s party on dude, especially with alcohol.
I’m not here to condone or condemn. What I would like is a more honest conversation about drug and alcohol use.
For tickets to the event and more information on Learn to Cope, click here: https://www.learn2cope.org/