Simplifying Addiction

Abstract

Addiction disorders/substance use disorders (SUD) are on the rise. However, many mental health care providers have never experienced SUD themselves, leading to higher chances of poor patient care through stigma, judgement, and the misunderstanding of patients. An alternative approach to understanding patients with addictive behaviors using a comparison of sex is discussed in this paper. Since most health care providers will have experienced sex, this analog can help mental health workers with no lived experience of SUD better understand their patients. This can help reduce stigma, misunderstanding, countertransference feeling, and the judgment of patients, thereby leading to better patient care.