The media plays an important role in defining how we see addiction.
Thanks for joining us again as we unpack the subject of drug addiction and how we are unlikely to ever overcome it without a major shift in society’s perspective. Dr Mark Calarco wrote an article on the four key elements that would need to chance in the way we view addiction and addicts, which he labelled “People, Cause, Stigma and Media.” Having taken a closer look at the first three in our previous articles, we are going to dig into the final one, and discuss how this has framed our perspective on drug abuse for decades. Remember, this is just one perspective on the drug addiction crisis. There are lots of perspectives all over Michigan and the rest of the USA.
The Media:
Of all four of the key elements that Dr. Calarco named, this one is probably the biggest. Primarily because it has such a major influence on the former three. The media, by definition, includes movies, TV, books, newspapers, social media, websites, blogs and any other format in which information, ideas and social perspectives are shared among the masses. As such, the media has a huge influence on how people perceive situations, circumstances, and even other people.
With regards to how the media frames the issue of drug addiction, it is usually presented in the format of criminal justice. People who use drugs are depicted as criminals. As law breakers who deserve to go to jail. That view, while it lines up with today’s legal stance, does not even begin to address the real problem theorizes Calarco.
When the focus is placed squarely on criminal justice, makes people struggling with addiction look like the “bad guys.” This is unfortunate, because according to Calarco’s thoughts, it pits people against those who wrestle with substance abuse, instead of presenting them as people who need help. A better perspective would be to address the issue from a medical standpoint, which would illuminate the brain disease that drug use causes, and the way it changes and controls people’s mind’s.
A similar issue, that was incorrectly perceived by the public for decades, is mental health. People with schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder were viewed for a long time as “crazy” or “disturbed.” Only in recent years has the public perspective begun to shift towards a better understanding of mental illness and behavioral and mood disorders. This growing awareness has resulted in more and more people receiving the help they need, and a lessening of the stigma that was so firmly rooted in the issue. Calarco thinks this is exactly what we need for drug abuse.
Awareness of what drug abuse does to the mind and what the brain disease caused by drug use does to the mind might go a long way towards helping us overcome the stigma. In addition, it would ensure that a much greater number of addicts receive the help and care that they need. In this, the media would do a great service to society if there was a push towards presenting drug addiction in a more truthful light.
Some have long claimed that incarcerating people struggling with substance abuse does nothing to help them overcome their problem. Calarco says addiction is not a “criminal choice,” in that a person who is getting high, or stealing to support a habit, is not making an informed decision with a complete understanding of the consequences. Their brain no longer operates the way it was originally wired to, which means that they are no longer able to think clearly about the consequences of their actions. For this reason, sending them to jail to punish them for what they have done does nothing at all to help their brains heal and overcome the “faulty wiring.” If Calarco’s theory is right, it still ignores the deterrent and punishment aspects of jail time.
Calarco thinks that as soon as people come to realize that addiction has nothing to do with law enforcement, or “right and wrong”, we will be able to start making strides towards overcoming it. Until then, we have to hope that the media will catch on to what many expert are already realizing, and will begin to present a different, more compassionate, and certainly more accurate view of addiction.
Join us next time, when we will be looking at this subject from a new angle in order to gain a better understanding of how addiction affects the brain. We also encourage you to read Dr. Calarco’s article, published in the Observer. Until next time, if you or a loved one are facing drug related charges in Michigan, whether it’s for use, production, possession or trafficking, we can help you. In addition, the skilled defense attorneys at The Kronzek Firm, we have many years of experience defending against charges of all varieties, including Theft, Assault, Sex Crimes, and Armed Robbery. Call us immediately at 866-766-5245. We are here to help you 24/7.