What image comes to mind when you think of a drug-addict?
Maybe it evokes Ewan McGregor’s portrayal in the movie Trainspotting. Or perhaps the younger character Effy from the TV show Skins. Various forms of media reinforce the stereotype of a gaunt, skin-itching individual, and has done for many years. The stigma behind drug addiction has now become so strong that it brings a whole new social identity with it. This new identity is not only detrimental to the individual’s mental health but can greatly affect their chance of recovery, due to the social isolation that results from it. So much so that a recent study has found that the social isolation associated with drug addiction more than doubles the chances of relapse.
Johnson, Pagano, Lee, & Post’s (2018) study looked at what effect social isolation has on relapse and crime rates in drug-addicted adolescents. Social isolation is particularly important because it has been argued that the primary driver of drug addiction is not chemicals but rather the isolation, pain, and distress experienced by users (Hari, 2015). The study included 195 participants aged 14 to 18-years-old who were entering into an addiction treatment facility in the US. All participants had been diagnosed with an alcohol or other drug addiction. The participants were interviewed during their stay and also had follow-ups 6 months and 12 months after their discharge from the facility. From these interviews, a score for each participant’s ‘social isolation’ was created, based on four factors: social estrangement, low volunteerism, help given to others in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and help received from others in AA. The results of the study indicated that those with a greater sense of social estrangement (a feeling of detachment from others) were more than twice as likely to relapse and be incarcerated.
Now, you might be thinking that 12 months isn’t long enough to map someone's recovery. Or maybe that there are a lot of other factors that go into someone committing a crime, other than social isolation. And you’re absolutely right! But this study does offer an important insight into how we can reduce relapse rates in drug-addicted individuals (at least in the short-term).
Reducing relapse rates is important for two key reasons:
- Firstly, drug addiction today is considered a major public health problem. In 2018 alone, there were 4,359 deaths from drug-overdose in England and Wales. This is a 16% increase from the year before. There are also a number of other health concerns that come from drug misuse, such as the spread of infectious diseases from sharing needles.
- Secondly, research has shown that drug abuse is intrinsically linked to crime. If we can reduce drug addiction and relapse rates, crime rates may consequently fall (Johnson, Pagano, Lee, & Post, 2018).
But how can we do this? And, perhaps more importantly, how can you help?
This study shows us that social isolation plays a big role in an individual’s recovery. Current treatments could be improved to include more of a social emphasis. For example, making community-based activities an integral component of rehabilitation may help those in recovery reclaim the social identities many feel they have lost.
Equally, the social stigma surrounding drug addiction is thought to be extremely damaging to the mental (and physical) health of the individual. What’s more, stigma often leads to discrimination, which significantly constrains the process of recovery. If we, as individuals, strive to treat addicts as humans, with understanding and compassion, they may have a better chance of escaping the stigma of forever being condemned as a ‘drug addict.’
Lastly, Johnson, Pagano, Lee, & Post’s (2018) study found that helping others was more beneficial to the participant’s recovery than receiving help from others. This is consistent with another study, which found that helping others was even associated with a longer life (Brown, Neese, Vinokur, & Smith, 2003). It seems offering help to others may not just be beneficial for those in need, but also beneficial to you too.
Having a strong social network may be the difference between recovery and relapse for those battling addiction. While it is undeniable that there are numerous factors that will influence success rate of those in recovery, Johnson and colleagues’ study points towards the small steps we can all take to help facilitate their reintegration into society. With a few simple acts of kindness, we can demonstrate a society that understands and accepts the struggles of substance abusers. Who knows, we may even rekindle a greater sense of community for everyone while we’re at it…
References
Butt, A., John, E., & McQuade, G. (2019, August 15). Drugs related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2018 registrations. Retrieved from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales/2018registrations
Brown, S. L., Neese, R. M., Vinokur, A. D., Smith, D.M. (2003). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: Results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological Science, 14, 320-327.
Hari, J. (2015). Chasing the scream: The first and last days of the war on drugs. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Johnson, B. R., Pagano, M. E., Lee, M. T., & Post, S. G. (2018). Alone on the inside: The impact of social isolation and helping others on AOD use and criminal activity. Youth & Society, 50(4), 529-550.