我酗酒成癮超15年。高中和大學時期開始豪飲,逐漸變成斷片、進急診室、懊悔與羞恥的無盡循環。等到身邊同齡人逐漸成熟不再酗酒,我還是泥潭深陷。狂飲和斷片的時間越來越長,身體和心理健康問題也愈發嚴重。
我試過12步戒酒會、心理治療,也向醫生尋求過幫助,但效果一直不佳。后來醫生給我開了安全有效能幫助控制酗酒或戒酒的納曲酮,情況才有所好轉。納曲酮被推薦用于酒精使用障礙,我終于能控制自己酗酒的毛病了。
在吃藥控制方面有困難的并非我一個。在2800萬酒精使用障礙患者中,只有2.5%的人能獲得有助于控制酗酒或戒酒的藥物。
于是我創立了Oar Health,希望填補這一空白。我們幫助受酗酒問題困擾的人聯系醫療專業人員,必要時獲得處方,并持續獲得支持以實現目標。
最近,我在一則電視廣告中講述了自己成癮和康復的經歷。其實公開承認酒精曾影響我的工作、健康和人際關系,讓我很緊張。但我希望其他人能因我的故事有所啟發,勇敢邁步走向康復。
廣告播出后,數千人找來渴望了解更多信息。其中有些人已開始治療,飲酒量逐漸減少或徹底戒了酒。
然而,匿名戒酒會的成員聽到我的故事后并不那么滿意。一些人留下了激烈的留言:
? “今天有多少看了你廣告的人被你害死了?”
? “你真可恥,竟然推銷騙人的藥。”
? “你在推薦什么?不過是另一種讓人依賴的東西,最后還不是像酒精一樣讓人上癮。”
但他們忽略了一點,納曲酮是安全有效的藥物,經美國食品藥品監督管理局(FDA)批準,且不會讓人上癮。
還有一些人堅稱,匿名戒酒會是治療酒精使用障礙唯一正規的途經。但事實上,匿名戒酒會在藥物輔助治療并無明確立場,其官方資料還明確指出“任何匿名戒酒會成員都不應‘扮演醫生的角色’”。
我能理解人們對曾幫助自己的方法非常認同。匿名戒酒會是個很棒的組織,過往成績令人欽佩。90年來,該組織在幾乎所有國家幫助過數百萬人,而且完全免費。
但如果偏執地認為康復途徑只有一種,這種想法有弊無利。
每個人都有權選擇適合自己的解決方案
事實上,萬靈藥并不存在。不管是匿名戒酒會、納曲酮還是其他方法都不是。真正有效的是多種有循證依據的工具,包括處方藥、專業的行為醫療服務(如心理治療或咨詢)還有互助支持小組。
我相信每個人都有權利也有責任,找到適合自己的康復“工具箱”。如果某種方法沒什么效果,換一種理所應當。
“我發現12步戒酒療法并不適合我,”一位女士告訴我。她沒有放棄也沒有自責,而是選擇嘗試藥物治療。“自從開始吃納曲酮,我的生活發生了巨大改變,”她表示。“我喝酒的習慣變得健康多了。現在每周只喝三杯酒,每次最多一杯葡萄酒或一杯伏特加。”
重要的是,多數有循證依據的治療方案并非相互排斥,而是可以互補。很多人將藥物輔助治療與參與匿名戒酒會、SMART Recovery、Moderation Management 或其他互助支持小組結合。他們的康復“工具箱”中,既有針對成癮生化基礎的藥物,也有能鞏固康復效果的社區支持、人際聯結和責任監督機制。
正如一位成員所說:“我曾參加匿名戒酒會項目,憑借強大的意志力堅持戒了一年。然而酒的誘惑一直困擾著我,從未真正消失。后來我又酗酒了。規律服用納曲酮后,我才感覺真正掙脫了對酒精的渴望。”
藥物并不是該成員唯一的工具。“心理咨詢、匿名戒酒會項目、對自己誠實、家人的支持,我想過健康清醒生活的愿望,再加上藥物作用,都是我最終保持清醒徹底戒酒的重要因素。”
我相信,哪怕最狂熱的匿名戒酒會成員,與我的目標都是一致的。我們都希望幫助美國數百萬酒精使用障礙患者順利康復。要實現目標,我認為不應再浪費時間互相指責,應該幫助有需要的人了解各種治療方案。就像成癮治療領域的倡導者所說:“我們都能康復”,只是路徑各不相同罷了。(財富中文網)
喬納森·亨特-格拉斯曼是Oar Health創始人兼首席執行官,該公司提供線上醫療服務,通過藥物輔助幫人們減少酗酒或徹底戒酒。
Fortune.com上評論文章中表達的觀點僅代表作者個人觀點,并不代表《財富》雜志的觀點和立場。
譯者:梁宇
審校:夏林
我酗酒成癮超15年。高中和大學時期開始豪飲,逐漸變成斷片、進急診室、懊悔與羞恥的無盡循環。等到身邊同齡人逐漸成熟不再酗酒,我還是泥潭深陷。狂飲和斷片的時間越來越長,身體和心理健康問題也愈發嚴重。
我試過12步戒酒會、心理治療,也向醫生尋求過幫助,但效果一直不佳。后來醫生給我開了安全有效能幫助控制酗酒或戒酒的納曲酮,情況才有所好轉。納曲酮被推薦用于酒精使用障礙,我終于能控制自己酗酒的毛病了。
在吃藥控制方面有困難的并非我一個。在2800萬酒精使用障礙患者中,只有2.5%的人能獲得有助于控制酗酒或戒酒的藥物。
于是我創立了Oar Health,希望填補這一空白。我們幫助受酗酒問題困擾的人聯系醫療專業人員,必要時獲得處方,并持續獲得支持以實現目標。
最近,我在一則電視廣告中講述了自己成癮和康復的經歷。其實公開承認酒精曾影響我的工作、健康和人際關系,讓我很緊張。但我希望其他人能因我的故事有所啟發,勇敢邁步走向康復。
廣告播出后,數千人找來渴望了解更多信息。其中有些人已開始治療,飲酒量逐漸減少或徹底戒了酒。
然而,匿名戒酒會的成員聽到我的故事后并不那么滿意。一些人留下了激烈的留言:
? “今天有多少看了你廣告的人被你害死了?”
? “你真可恥,竟然推銷騙人的藥。”
? “你在推薦什么?不過是另一種讓人依賴的東西,最后還不是像酒精一樣讓人上癮。”
但他們忽略了一點,納曲酮是安全有效的藥物,經美國食品藥品監督管理局(FDA)批準,且不會讓人上癮。
還有一些人堅稱,匿名戒酒會是治療酒精使用障礙唯一正規的途經。但事實上,匿名戒酒會在藥物輔助治療并無明確立場,其官方資料還明確指出“任何匿名戒酒會成員都不應‘扮演醫生的角色’”。
我能理解人們對曾幫助自己的方法非常認同。匿名戒酒會是個很棒的組織,過往成績令人欽佩。90年來,該組織在幾乎所有國家幫助過數百萬人,而且完全免費。
但如果偏執地認為康復途徑只有一種,這種想法有弊無利。
每個人都有權選擇適合自己的解決方案
事實上,萬靈藥并不存在。不管是匿名戒酒會、納曲酮還是其他方法都不是。真正有效的是多種有循證依據的工具,包括處方藥、專業的行為醫療服務(如心理治療或咨詢)還有互助支持小組。
我相信每個人都有權利也有責任,找到適合自己的康復“工具箱”。如果某種方法沒什么效果,換一種理所應當。
“我發現12步戒酒療法并不適合我,”一位女士告訴我。她沒有放棄也沒有自責,而是選擇嘗試藥物治療。“自從開始吃納曲酮,我的生活發生了巨大改變,”她表示。“我喝酒的習慣變得健康多了。現在每周只喝三杯酒,每次最多一杯葡萄酒或一杯伏特加。”
重要的是,多數有循證依據的治療方案并非相互排斥,而是可以互補。很多人將藥物輔助治療與參與匿名戒酒會、SMART Recovery、Moderation Management 或其他互助支持小組結合。他們的康復“工具箱”中,既有針對成癮生化基礎的藥物,也有能鞏固康復效果的社區支持、人際聯結和責任監督機制。
正如一位成員所說:“我曾參加匿名戒酒會項目,憑借強大的意志力堅持戒了一年。然而酒的誘惑一直困擾著我,從未真正消失。后來我又酗酒了。規律服用納曲酮后,我才感覺真正掙脫了對酒精的渴望。”
藥物并不是該成員唯一的工具。“心理咨詢、匿名戒酒會項目、對自己誠實、家人的支持,我想過健康清醒生活的愿望,再加上藥物作用,都是我最終保持清醒徹底戒酒的重要因素。”
我相信,哪怕最狂熱的匿名戒酒會成員,與我的目標都是一致的。我們都希望幫助美國數百萬酒精使用障礙患者順利康復。要實現目標,我認為不應再浪費時間互相指責,應該幫助有需要的人了解各種治療方案。就像成癮治療領域的倡導者所說:“我們都能康復”,只是路徑各不相同罷了。(財富中文網)
喬納森·亨特-格拉斯曼是Oar Health創始人兼首席執行官,該公司提供線上醫療服務,通過藥物輔助幫人們減少酗酒或徹底戒酒。
Fortune.com上評論文章中表達的觀點僅代表作者個人觀點,并不代表《財富》雜志的觀點和立場。
譯者:梁宇
審校:夏林
I was addicted to alcohol for more than 15 years. What started as binge drinking in high school and college became a pattern of blackouts, emergency room visits, regret and shame. As peers grew up and put excessive alcohol use in the rear view mirror, the opposite happened for me. Binges and blackouts got longer, and the physical and mental health symptoms got more severe.
I tried 12-step meetings, therapy and asking doctors for help. But nothing worked for me until I was prescribed safe, effective medication proven to help people reduce or quit drinking. With some help from naltrexone, a recommended frontline medication for alcohol use disorder, I was finally able to take back control over alcohol.
I am far from alone in struggling to get access to medication. Only 2.5% of the 28 million people with alcohol use disorder are prescribed any medication to help them drink less or quit.
I started Oar Health to close that gap. We make it simple for people struggling with their drinking to connect with a medical professional, get a prescription if appropriate, and get ongoing support to meet their goals.
Recently, I told my story of addiction and recovery in a TV commercial. I was nervous about telling the world that alcohol had affected my job, health and relationships. But I hoped that others might see aspects of themselves in my story, making it easier for them to take a step toward recovery.
Since the ad launched, we’ve heard from thousands of people eager to learn more. Some have already started treatment and begun to drink less or quit entirely.
However, there’s one group of people who aren’t so happy to hear my story: AA members. Some of the more vitriolic responses have been:
? “How many people did you kill today that watched your commercial?”
? “Shame on you for selling a scam pill like this.”
? “What do you offer? Another substance to use as a crutch and become addicted to, much like alcohol itself.”
Never mind that naltrexone is safe, effective, FDA-approved and not addictive.
We’ve also heard from people who insist that AA is the only legitimate way to recover from alcohol use disorder. Even though AA takes no official position on medication-assisted treatment and instructs that “no AA member should ‘play doctor’” in its official literature.
I can’t blame people for feeling loyalty to the approach that helped them. AA is an amazing organization with an inspiring track record: millions of people helped across its 90 year history in almost every country on earth — all for free.
But it’s counterproductive to insist that there is only one way to recover.
Everyone has the right to their own solution
The truth is that there is no silver bullet — neither AA nor naltrexone nor anything else. Rather, there are multiple evidence-based tools that can help, including prescription medication, professional behavioral healthcare like therapy or counseling, and mutual peer support groups.
I believe that every person has the right, and responsibility, to assemble the recovery toolkit that fits them. When someone struggles to meet their goals through one approach, it is only logical to try another.
“I realized that the 12-step AA method was not the right fit for me,” one woman told me. Instead of giving up or blaming herself, she tried medication. “Since I started taking naltrexone, my life has undergone a significant transformation,” she reports. “I have made positive changes in my drinking habits. I limit myself to a glass of wine or one vodka only three times a week.”
Importantly, most evidence-based options are complementary rather than competitive. Many people combine medication-assisted treatment with participation in AA, SMART Recovery, Moderation Management or other mutual peer support groups. Their recovery toolkits combine medication that goes to work on the biochemical underpinnings of addiction with community, connection and accountability that reinforce their recovery.
As one member explained, “I’ve worked an AA program and achieved a year of sobriety with sheer willpower. However, the draw of drinking kept at me and remained in the background. I relapsed. Since incorporating naltrexone into my daily routine, I feel ‘unhitched’ from this draw.”
But medication is not his only tool. “Counseling, my AA program, being honest with myself, support from family, and my desire to lead a healthy and clear minded life — coupled with this medication — are important components to finally achieving a cemented sobriety.”
I am confident that all AA members, even the most zealous, have the same goal as I do: helping the millions of people in the US with alcohol use disorder recover. To do so, I suggest we spend less time tearing each other down and more time helping those in need to understand the full range of treatment options available to help them. As advocates like to say, “we do recover” — just in different ways.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.