Addiction Treatment Philosophy

As managers, it’s important to understand that, there are two types of models that are out there in addiction treatment. One is a choice model. The choice model is the tough guy model. The choice model assumes that people make the choice. They should be criminally responsible for the choices and there’s really no depth into why they are addicted. This is a transactional approach to dealing with humans. It’s one that I do not condone one bit and this is one that needs to go because there are so many people in society that have this view and this harsh handling of another human life.

The trauma informed approach is the approach that I subscribe to and this is the approach that I encourage every manager and leader to subscribe to even though we may feel that you know drugs are bad, yes but at the end of the day why are the people doing the drugs? Is jail the right place for somebody or is treatment the right place for somebody? If this was your loved one how would you want that person to be treated? That is the gold standard. If this was somebody in your family, a cousin, a relative, whoever, somebody that you’ve gone to family picnic with, how would you want that person to be treated? And the trauma-informed approach is the way to go. Trauma drives addiction; trauma impacts brain development at a very early age and we’ll talk about that and choice making.

So when we say adults make their own choices, oftentimes a wounded brain early in childhood isn’t making a rational choice until that brain is healed and until that brain has counseling and some coaching behind it to understand what’s going on and why that grown adult body is still reacting and not responding like a grown adult. Trauma impacts hormones, physiological responses; and trauma must be addressed in order to break through. Genetics also play a role with generational trauma and there are social services and support that are often needed to help people. This is a much more human-centered approach in how to view addiction, so I hope this is approach that you think about in the human resources lens in your company when people are going through different things as opposed to the let’s call the police lock them up, put them in jail when there’s another approach that says hey, let’s call the EAP, let’s find counseling, let’s find resources available for this person who we invested in. They’re a good person overall. They’re going through a hard time and we’re going to get them help.