Addiction ~ part 3 - Harm Reduction
Hello again Planet Famers!
Yes I know, I know.... long overdue. I think it's time we circle back though, and continue on with my blog series on addiction. So buckle up, and let's continue our dialogue!
We have covered, What is Addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery. Today, I would like to take a look at Harm Reduction.
Harm Reduction Therapy, a relatively new way of looking at addiction treatment in the United States, is a radical departure from AA and SMART Recovery. Harm Reduction does not necessarily promote abstinence as the only solution for addiction. Instead, it focuses on reducing the damage caused by the addictive behavior. It does not oppose abstinence, but rather recognizes that some individuals seem incapable of maintaining total abstinence. With that aim, Harm Reduction aims to minimize the harmful effects on drug and alcohol use.
The Harm Reduction Coalition does an excellent job, in my opinion, of explaining the main principles of Harm Reduction:
This theory, for obvious reasons, is the topic of much debate within the treatment community. A community that for all intents and purposes, was built upon abstinence only ideology like AA. There are those within the community, that feel that a Harm Reduction approach is enabling addicts to continue in their self destructive behaviors at the risk of everyone else around them. Personally, I find this approach to be very intriguing for multiple reasons, but the main two are:
1. I believe it takes a more individualistic, and humanistic approach to recovery. Even programs like AA and SMART will agree, that each individual's recovery is different. This seems to me, to be a logical extension of that thought process.
2. I believe that Harm Reduction, or the mindset of it, is the only theory available that truly removes the stigma of addiction from the addict. By accepting the reality that drugs, drug use, and addiction are part of our community, we then as a community can take steps to reduce the harm inflicted on the community. A perfect example of this, is needle exchange programs. By providing a safe place to dispose of dirty needles, we reduce the communities overall exposure to diseases.
That being said, there is also danger associated with Harm Reduction. Not properly enforced, and without real motivation for change by the individual, is can easily become an excuse for addicts to continue their behavior. There is also a greater risk to the community, while the individual works to develop their plan/strategy to reduce the harm they cause.
While I do not think Harm Reduction is necessarily "the answer", it certainly is an intriguing concept. It has produced some encouraging outcomes in Europe.
What are your thoughts? Let get this debate/conversation going!
Next week, hopefully, we take a look at Medication Assisted Treatment!
Until then Famers, Have a great week!
Fames
Yes I know, I know.... long overdue. I think it's time we circle back though, and continue on with my blog series on addiction. So buckle up, and let's continue our dialogue!
We have covered, What is Addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery. Today, I would like to take a look at Harm Reduction.
Harm Reduction Therapy, a relatively new way of looking at addiction treatment in the United States, is a radical departure from AA and SMART Recovery. Harm Reduction does not necessarily promote abstinence as the only solution for addiction. Instead, it focuses on reducing the damage caused by the addictive behavior. It does not oppose abstinence, but rather recognizes that some individuals seem incapable of maintaining total abstinence. With that aim, Harm Reduction aims to minimize the harmful effects on drug and alcohol use.
The Harm Reduction Coalition does an excellent job, in my opinion, of explaining the main principles of Harm Reduction:
- Accepts, for better and or worse, that licit and illicit drug use is part of our world and chooses to work to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply ignore or condemn them.
- Understands drug use as a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that encompasses a continuum of behaviors from severe abuse to total abstinence, and acknowledges that some ways of using drugs are clearly safer than others.
- Establishes quality of individual and community life and well-being–not necessarily cessation of all drug use–as the criteria for successful interventions and policies.
- Calls for the non-judgmental, non-coercive provision of services and resources to people who use drugs and the communities in which they live in order to assist them in reducing attendant harm.
- Ensures that drug users and those with a history of drug use routinely have a real voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them.
- Affirms drugs users themselves as the primary agents of reducing the harms of their drug use, and seeks to empower users to share information and support each other in strategies which meet their actual conditions of use.
- Recognizes that the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex-based discrimination and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for effectively dealing with drug-related harm.
- Does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger associated with licit and illicit drug use.
1. I believe it takes a more individualistic, and humanistic approach to recovery. Even programs like AA and SMART will agree, that each individual's recovery is different. This seems to me, to be a logical extension of that thought process.
2. I believe that Harm Reduction, or the mindset of it, is the only theory available that truly removes the stigma of addiction from the addict. By accepting the reality that drugs, drug use, and addiction are part of our community, we then as a community can take steps to reduce the harm inflicted on the community. A perfect example of this, is needle exchange programs. By providing a safe place to dispose of dirty needles, we reduce the communities overall exposure to diseases.
That being said, there is also danger associated with Harm Reduction. Not properly enforced, and without real motivation for change by the individual, is can easily become an excuse for addicts to continue their behavior. There is also a greater risk to the community, while the individual works to develop their plan/strategy to reduce the harm they cause.
While I do not think Harm Reduction is necessarily "the answer", it certainly is an intriguing concept. It has produced some encouraging outcomes in Europe.
What are your thoughts? Let get this debate/conversation going!
Next week, hopefully, we take a look at Medication Assisted Treatment!
Until then Famers, Have a great week!
Fames
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