NURSE PRAISES ADDICTION ARTICLE

Kudos and respect to Gladys Porcupine on her enlightening article "Viewing
Addiction as a Choice" [Oct. 31-Nov. 7]. Just as we would recognize the
contribution of both genes and environment toward creating what we are as
individuals, we could surely recognize the social role of "addict" our
society has constructed and just how debilitating this label is. How
massively disempowering it must be to be told you have no choice in the
matter of being you! Would we stand for any other such broadly defined
segment of our population being ascribed immutable traits in a similar
fashion? I think not.

As a newly graduated RN, I was taught to work toward empowerment with the
client. Sadly, the medical and social-services system I have seen does
nothing of the sort when it comes to addicts. In a massive case of
codependency not even Dr. Phil could remedy, the myriad of substance
abusers in the system are merely given Band-Aids and sent off to continue
their path of self-destruction. Multiple hospitalizations and reliance on
social assistance are assured for the "diseased". An entire part of our
city sits a wasteland of human potential, crippled because of this ideation.

There has to be a better way. But are we willing to see outside the
addiction dogma that held Porcupine under for so long?

Dallas Gogal

Burnaby