I am not sure how I feel about the recent story The Atlantic did on how treatment courts can reduce crime. In other words, sending convicted felons—or those facing lesser charges—to substance abuse treatment in lieu of (or to reduce time of) incarceration. I suppose the argument is a good one; that getting people help is better than simply punishing them for being an alcoholic or an addict. The problem is, I have known way too many alcoholics and addicts and watched far too much Law and Order to not feel skeptical about rallying for this cause.
Having a Disease Doesn’t Excuse You
Should all addicts get court mandated treatment over jail time? As a sober person, I think I am supposed to have a bleeding heart for all those afflicted with the disease of addiction, but that is not the case. I try to practice compassion for people who destroy their lives as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. However, it can be extremely challenging when those same people don’t have the willingness to do the work required to get better. And sadly, that is the majority of alcoholics and addicts, whether they are facing jail time or not.
Of course, if someone has a sincere desire to get sober then I am 100% supportive and agree that treatment is an excellent option. We are fortunate to be living during a time when there are more options for substance abuse treatment than ever before. Rehabs come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to pricing, intensity, treatment modalities and supplemental therapies. At the risk of sounding ridiculous—it is a great time to be an addict looking for recovery.
Sixth Time a Charm?
That is why I have a hard time understanding how a man, with a wife and two children to support, who is now facing prison time for his sixth DUI, had never considered treatment before. The article attempts to paint a picture of an innocent guy who has a disease and shame on the system for never mandating him to rehab. Seriously? It’s this type of argument that sets us back decades in terms of getting the world to understand addiction. I don’t know this man that is profiled in the article, but I do know alcoholics so from the information provided, I am going to paint another picture for you.
Portrait of an Alcoholic
A teenage boy, whose heavy drinking career is already off and running by age 18, gets wasted with his cousin—who drives him home while he passes out in the passenger’s seat. This leads to a car crash which lands him in a coma for several months. While this was extremely stupid, it’s hard to blame an adolescent for poor decision-making. In 12-step, we would classify this event as something that makes one’s life unmanageable due to drinking. Sure, accidents happen; but a person who would continue to drink heavily after this, like the man in question did even after he was confined to a wheelchair, doesn’t seem quite right. If you add in the fact that, despite this horrific experience, he got behind the wheel of a car drunk at least six more times, it is a pretty clear-cut case of powerlessness.
If this now-grown man and his family didn’t consider treatment or 12-step recovery after the second DUI, then they are in severe denial. But if there wasn’t talk of solutions after the third, fourth and fifth arrest, I am declaring this family brain dead. Since I don’t actually think any of them are brain dead, it’s very hard for me to have sympathy.
See, the truth is probably closer to this: the guy is an alcoholic who feels it is his right to drink because of what he has been through in his life (some version of this is the interior dialogue of every problem drinker). The DUIs are a nuisance but my guess is he isn’t the first in his group of friends to catch one. His life revolves around drinking and he sure as shit isn’t going to let Uncle Sam’s micromanaging BS interfere with him enjoying life.
Maybe his drinking isn’t affecting his relationships or job, but that doesn’t balance out the countless signposts of trouble provided by the local police. If this man was so grateful to be working and supporting his family, why would he jeopardize that by driving drunk again? Because that is what alcoholics do. We are self-centered, self-willed people who would rather die than ask for help. We feel the world is against us and it is our job to beat the system or lick this disease on our own. We aren’t typically the type of humble character with a heart of gold that this man is portrayed to be—at least not until we hit bottom.
The Real Problem
So has this man hit his bottom? Who knows. His willingness to seek treatment now that he is facing incarceration is likely fueled by the fact that he is out of options. But I am shocked that a man with more than two DUIs is just now facing imprisonment. There is definitely something wrong with our system, but not sending (and paying for) addicts to get treatment is not it.
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