Posts under ‘addiction’

Today in Ottawa, a rally will be held in support of Insite, the first supervised safe injection site in North America for individuals addicted to intravenous drugs. A blog specifically devoted to this issue is promoting the rally, requesting that Canadian citizens supportive of this successful harm reduction technique make their presence known in Ottawa today. 

This morning I watched HBO’s 90-minute special documentary “Addiction” with my colleagues in lieu of our usual multidisciplinary team meeting. Frequent readers of Digital Doorway may remember that I was asked by HBO’s public relations team last year to post a review of the film in advance of its original broadcast on the cable network. While I did point out some minor shortcomings in that review, I felt at the time that the film offered the general public and healthcare providers alike a succinct yet moving overview of the most current science vis-a-vis addiction and its treatment, illustrated with real-life stories which drive home the basic thesis of the entire HBO undertaking—that addiction, for all intents and purposes, is a disease of the brain which is chronic and treatable. However, the film never fails to also underscore the fact that addiction destroys relationships, wrecks families, often kills its sufferers, and costs the taxpayer millions of dollars per year in treatment, legal ramifications, lost productivity, and societal costs.

On my third viewing of the film, I was surprised that I still cried at the most touching moments, despite the fact that I have seen those segments a number of times and know exactly what’s coming. Thinking that I might be slightly bored seeing the same film yet again, I brought along some paperwork to do in case the experience became tedious for me at any point. However, in that dimly lit room, shades drawn, my twenty-some-odd colleagues transfixed, watching the screen with rapt attention and nary a murmur of comment or side conversation, I was completely engrossed in the film, emotionally hooked into each story and finding my heart and mind opening yet again to the message with which I am by now very familiar.

I’m not sure how the HBO project has fared vis-a-vis its ultimate and overarching goal of energizing a national conversation about addiction, the need for adequate treatment, the stigma which labels it as a moral failing or character flaw, and the science that shows its physiological basis. Still, this film—a series of discrete vignettes which each stand on their own yet work as a comprehensive whole—has had an effect on me well beyond the initial viewing. The thirteen additional short films in the series can all be streamed on HBO.com for free or seen on HBO on- demand, along with the 90-minute documentary which is the subject of the preceding paragraphs.

Despite all of our training and understanding of the disease model of addiction, we healthcare providers are always at risk of feeling disappointment, anger, resentment, and despair when our patients relapse into drug or alcohol abuse. As much as we try our best to not see it as a moral failing or character flaw, there are still moments in our days when we put our heads in our hands and sincerely question how we can go on being objective when our souls cry out “NO!” when a client picks up again. Even when our brains say “it’s a disease, they are powerless over their cravings”, we must, deep down, still feel disappointment and anger from time to time, wishing that they could be stronger, more circumspect, more amenable to treatment.

Just as family members struggle between unsympathetic anger and loving compassion, we providers must also wrestle with our judgments and pin our own demons to the proverbial ground. The old adage, “there but for the grace of God(dess) go I” (which I admittedly and unapologetically use ad nauseum on this blog), still holds true. Any one of us is a potential addict, however some of us are more inclined than others, just as some are more inclined to diabetes or heart disease.

Addiction takes its toll on our society in myriad ways, and we all at some point must consider what it means to us, who in our lives may be affected, what we would like to do about it, and how we feel this society should manage such a monster in our midst. Addicts—whether homeless vets or white collar executives—all deserve the same chance at treatment and a life free of addiction and its potentially catastrophic consequences. But as long as a large segment of the population—as well as those in power—see addiction as a failure of will power and personal strength, we will still have a very long way to go.

“I relapsed again,” she told me. “I could barely bring myself to tell you.”

“Unfortunately, it happens. But what’s the plan now?” I try not to show any discernible emotion when hearing the news so that she doesn’t feel judged.

“Well, I haven’t used in two days. I feel like shit, though.” She wrings her hands as they rest in her lap.

“Two days? That’s great! every day is a new chance to make a new choice. What do you think?”

“Yeah, today’s a new day, but that doesn’t help me feel less like shit.”

“I know, but you’ll feel physically better sooner if you can just forgive yourself and let go of what happened. You can learn from your mistakes without beating yourself up about it.”

“That’s true. I just hope I can do it.”

“You have choices every day. You made a good choice to come in today and talk to us. Let’s plan on some good decisions tomorrow, too, OK?”

“OK. I’ll be back next week. I think I’ll get some exercise.” We both stand up and shake hands.

As the door closes, I take a deep breath. Addiction must be such a weight to carry. I give thanks that it doesn’t have a hold on me, and feel a swelling of compassion for those for whom it is a daily—or even an hourly—struggle.

“Y’know, I never told you, but during my recent relapse I was using about forty bags of heroin a day, sometimes more.” He looked me squarely in the eye.

“Forty bags a day? Shooting or snorting?” I asked.

“Oh, shooting,” he said nonchalantly. “It was crazy. I never want to go back to that again. I feel like a new person.”

“I bet. Now what?”

“Oh, maybe work, some volunteering, fix up my new place, hang out with my dog, work out. My appetite is back, too. I’m eating like a horse.”

“Well, you look great, my friend. Take this opportunity and run with it!”

“Believe me, I know what’s what, and this is something I’m not gonna waste. This is too good to be true!”

I checked his blood pressure, his heart rate, listened to his lungs, felt his belly, looked in his mouth, felt his cervical nodes, and checked for leg swelling. But mostly I was evaluating his spirit, his will to be clean and embrace a new lease on life. The physical exam was a pretext.

His eyes were clear, his voice strong, his resolve apparently firm. Having lost weight during the horrors of detox from heroin and benzodiazepines, his health actually quite good, he has gotten it together, and now seems willing to take his recovery at face value. This gentleman—a truly gentle man—has a fighting chance.

We shake hands at the door, my left hand on his shoulder.

“Y’know, you all have really been there for me and I appreciate that so much. It means alot.” He has very kind and calm eyes.

“It’s our pleasure. We do it because we care about you and believe in you. That’s the bottom line. Keep up the good work. See you next week?”

“Same place, same time, man. See you then.”

When I get to the office, I realize I’ve been smiling the whole way.

“What usually keeps you from taking your HIV meds?” the doctor asks. We sit looking at her.

“When I start using drugs again,” she says, unblinking, holding my gaze.

“And how can we figure out when it’s time to try again? Do you feel like you might be getting ready to give it another chance?” The doctor and I exchange glances.

“Oh yes, I’m ready. If you want to try, I want to do it. I know it’s important.”

I know she’s sincere, but we’ve been here so many times. Once, she almost died from liver failure from her meds, a negative side effect of adherence. Another time she had toxoplasmosis (a brain infection) so bad she had a seizure, and that was because she wasn’t taking her meds. Talk about a double-edged sword.

The doctor gives her the rest of the spiel. “You understand that without the prophylactic meds, you could get very sick or die from an opportunistic infection. If we can get you back on HIV medication, those infections are no longer a worry. But you have to stay clean and on the meds.”

She’s a very sweet person, and we’ve worked together for six years. I think we really admire one another. I’ve brought her kids Christmas presents. I bought her an alarm clock so that she would wake up in time to get her kids up for school since they were truant more than 100 days last year. I think she sold the alarm clock. She also sold her grown daughter’s TV and DVD collection.

The doctor asks some more questions.

“Do you have a partner, spouse, or husband?”

“Yes, my husband.”

“Does he know your diagnosis of HIV?”

“Of course, yes.”

“Do you use condoms when you have sex?”

“No, never. He doesn’t like them.” She looks gravely at the doctor.

I chime in. “So, even though he knows he’s at great risk of infection with HIV, he won’t protect himself?”

“We’ve been together so long—more than twenty years. That’s the way he is.”

“Has he been tested?” the doctor asks.

“He won’t,” she says. “He doesn’t even go to the doctor.”

We end the interview and send her to the lab for the bloodwork. Sitting down with the doctor who is a second-year resident doing his Infectious Disease rotation, we begin discussing the case with his preceptor, an Infectious Disease Fellow at the hospital.

The preceptor says, “Haven’t I heard this story a thousand times before? Cocaine, unprotected sex, avoidable opportunistic infections, virus out of control?”

“Probably ten thousand times,” I say. “It’s the never-ending story.”

And so it goes.

“I don’t know why I did it,” he said. “This guy came over. He knew I’d been through a hard time, and he pulled out this bag of heroin. ‘I have something for you,’ he said to me. I didn’t do the whole thing, but I snorted a bunch of it. I’m such an idiot.” He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

“Well, it happens. And now here we are. Let’s start again, OK?”

“Yeah, OK. I’m such an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot. You made a questionable choice under stress. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Really.”

We’re sitting in an exam room, waiting for the specialist to come in.

“You’ve done a great job. It’s been a hard year, you’ve been through alot. There’s no reason you can’t stay clean again for a long time.” I hit his knee with the back of my hand playfully.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you guys,” he says. “You’ve all been so kind to me.”

“Sure, we ‘re nice to you, but it’s you who’s doing all the work,” I respond. “You make it easy for us to help because you really try. Plus we like you.”

The gastroenterologist comes in and we get down to business. My patient praises the doctor for his “bedside manner” and thanks him for his patience with is questions.

“Just tell me, doc,” he asks. “Do I have a couple of years to live?. Please be honest.”

The doctor sits across from my patient and looks him in the eye. “Look, you’re really doing OK. There’s no emergency here. I can’t make predictions, but just stay clean, eat well, get some exercise, take your meds, go to your appointments, and we’ll talk again in six months. You’re all right.”

“Thanks, doc. I have a hard time believing that, but I’ll take you at your word.”

We leave the office after scheduling an important procedure and a follow-up appointment. The sun is shining, the air is warm. It’s finally Spring. This patient certainly has his issues, and he often walks a knife’s edge in terms of his health, sobriety, and ability to remain focused. But for today, we have a reprieve, a new start, another chance at change and growth. And tomorrow? Only time will tell.

In a recent post, I mentioned the fact that HBO, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, is beginning a comprehensive effort—The Addiction Project—to bring addiction to the fore of the American mind. The main thesis of the project is that addiction is a preventable, treatable, chronic brain disease with identifiable patterns of remission and relapse. That project launches in earnest this Thursday, March 15th at 9pm, with the initial airing of the 90-minute centerpiece film, followed by subsequent airings as well as 14 additional short films targeting specific aspects of addiction.

This project is a “multi-platform” undertaking involving cable television, the HBO website, podcasts, a DVD, a companion book, four independent documentaries on HBO2, and a 30-city community outreach program reaching across the country. You can access Robert Wood Johnson’s site dedicated to the project here. The HBO Addiction Project website is designed to respond to the visitor using “dialogue navigation” which utilizes information entered by the user to guide the visitor to specifically targeted information regarding treatment, family support, or other aspects of addiction and its multifactorial effects on life, health, healthcare, and community. HBO will also be making all 15 films available for free on their website once the initial airing has occurred on March 15th. Additionally, the entire series will be offered for free to all cable TV subscribers from March 15th to 18th—regardless of HBO subscription—if your local cable provider is supporting that offer. Community-based events will be organized, including house-parties with local film screenings, utilizing the AddictionAction website as a clearinghouse for tools to assist in organizing, networking and community outreach.

I am privileged to have been sent an advance copy of the four-DVD set and accompanying press kit, and recently sat down to watch the 90-minute centerpiece film. Presented as a number of separate segments, the film uses interviews with national addiction experts, personal stories, and scientific data which all serve to underscore the new science of addiction, its psychosocial and economic impact, and the overall ramifications of addiction for our country as a whole. The film touches upon many subjects, whetting the appetite for more information rather than saturating the viewer with only one point of view.

The segments include “Saturday Night in a Dallas ER” which treats more than 15,000 alcohol- or drug-related injuries per year; “A Mother’s Desperation” portraying a mother’s attempts to assist her addicted young adult daughter; and, “The Science of Relapse”, which provides new scientific evidence for the physiological reasons for relapse based on the latest brain imaging technologies. Other segments illuminate, among other things, treatment with buprenorphine and methadone, adolescent addicts, and insight into a clinical trial of Topiramate for the treatment of alcoholism.

No discussion of addiction and its treatment would be complete without a discussion of the ravages which managed care and the health insurance industry have wreaked upon the treatment of addiction. The filmmakers are keen to point out that 44% of Americans who cannot access substance abuse treatment claim that prohibitive costs or inadequate insurance coverage are the prime factors for that lack of access. A very moving story—”Steamfitters Local Union 638″–portrays how a local New York union has chosen to become self-insured in order to make its own decisions regarding accessibility of healthcare for its members. The union has created a 24-hour hotline for members seeking assistance locating substance abuse treatment, and then provides intensive peer-run aftercare in order to increase the chance of successful recovery. Rather than solely paint a bleak picture of addiction treatment vis-a-vis the insurance industry, the filmmakers chose instead to highlight a small group who has taken responsibility for access to quality healthcare. However, the filmmakers also make it exceedingly clear that families and addicts themselves are taking the fight for addiction treatment to state legislatures and Congress, fueling activism on all sides of the treatment equation.

As a layperson with no real knowledge of filmmaking, I can safely opine that the 90-minute centerpiece film being presented on HBO is of the highest quality, offering insight, hope, scientific fact, heart-wrenching stories, political and economic perspectives, and a place from where a larger national conversation can begin. The scope of the first film is daunting enough, and one could walk away feeling that each individual segment deserved 90 minutes of its own, and that conclusion would not be a misguided one. However, I am sure that the folks at HBO know that in the Information Age, the American attention span is short, and presenting a film made up of easily digestible segments introducing much broader topics is a good way to engender interest and spark desire for further conversation and learning. To that end, it appears that the very richly endowed web-site will provide just the tool for allowing interested parties to further explore the issues at hand.

First, I must pause to praise HBO for even attempting to comprehensively tackle so unpopular a subject as addiction in an era when “American Idol” and other less intellectually stimulating fare dominates the airwaves. Being a premium cable channel, one reality that hits home is that a great number of people most in need of seeing these films may very well be left out of the picture altogether, although it appears that many local cable providers will make HBO available at no cost for the three days of the project’s launch. Still, outside of those three days, a woeful number of Americans will not have ready access to such stellar information, and these gaps are where HBO’s planned community outreach programs could make a difference. Hopefully, organizations, individuals, schools, businesses, and government agencies will take advantage of this project’s scope, bringing this conversation into classrooms, workplaces, and statehouses across the country. This is obviously the aim of the project’s organizers and developers, and much credit to them for the valiant effort.

In terms of further challenges, I urge HBO, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and all other parties involved in the project to remember that many languages are spoken in this multicultural society, and that dubbed versions of this film should be made urgently available in as many languages as possible, so that the reach of this project can go deep into the many subcultures and distinct racial and ethnic groups which comprise our country today. Subtitles can be quite useful, but we also do not want to overlook those illiterate segments of the population which also need to hear the addiction message loud and cl
ear. Many first-generation grandparents living in culturally isolated pockets of numerous American cities also need to hear this story so that they too can be recruited into the effort to stem the tide of addiction among the younger, English-speaking, assimilated generations which they are helping to raise. The message is a hopeful one, and will only be more hopeful if these segments of society are appropriately reached.

I have no criticism to offer The Addiction Project at this time, prior even to its public debut. The scope of the undertaking is enormous, and if enough communities and key players within those communities can access this information and actually spur citizens to action, then the project will be an unmitigated success. If HBO and its partners are equal to the task of reaching out to communities of color, the disenfranchised, the uninsured, and the populace at large, while advocating for pressure to be put on managed care companies to increase coverage for addiction treatment, then a great deal of success and broad influence will be assured.

Unfortunately, I am fairly certain that the current Administration on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. will turn a blind eye to this rising movement, even as its embattled military veterans suffer disproportionately from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the addiction which can often result from such trauma. As citizens, it will be up to us to push our legislators for the drafting of legislation to force insurance companies to increase coverage for the treatment of addiction, and only we can hold their feet to enough fires to ensure even a modest change.

Perhaps someday, when universal single-payer healthcare is an accepted fact and an inalienable right of all citizens, our grandchildren will wonder how we ever could deny treatment to those among us suffering from addiction. Perhaps some of these stories presented by HBO and The Addiction Project will be faint memories, with affordable treatments for addiction as ubiquitous as medications for hypertension are today. We can only hope that this will be the case in the future, with addiction relegated to the ranks of other chronic diseases. Until then, an undertaking like The Addiction Project is a crucial and timely one, and we can only hope that its influence will be felt far and wide.

Just yesterday, I received an email from someone at HBO, asking me to consider encouraging my readers to tune in for a new 14-part documentary due to be aired in March. Based upon my reading of the advance materials and press releases, The Addiction Project will seek to “redefine drug and alcohol addiction”. There will be a 90-minute centerpiece film followed by 13 additional films which will focus on “the neurological forces behind addiction, getting treatment, relpase, understanding particular therapies, and adolescent addiction.” The films will apparently will utilize the model in which addictiojn is seen as a chronic brain disease, examining the environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors that can make an individual more vulnerable to substance abuse.

Due to my interest in addiction, its treatment, and the day to day struggles of my those facing its challenges, I am trusting that this series will be done well, will be well worth watching, and may help to continue the conversation already happening around the country vis-a-vis the disease model of addiction and recovery.My only regret is that I will not see the series myself, not having access to HBO. I’ll just have to wait for the DVD.

HBO’S BIGGEST MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA EVENT,

THE ADDICTION PROJECT,

A GROUNDBREAKING 14-PART SERIES, KICKS OFF

WITH CENTERPIECE DOCUMENTARY MARCH 15

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\n

Project Defines \nAddiction As

\n

A Chronic Relapsing \nBrain Disease That Is Treatable

\n

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Entire Series To Be \nOffered Free To Cable Subscribers

\n

During Four-Day \nPreview On HBO, March 15-18

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\n

“How can we comprehend the concept \nof a person who wants to stop doing something and cannot, despite catastrophic \nconsequences? That is what we are \nup against. Some people don’t want \nto speak about addiction, or compare it to other chronic diseases. Well, this is a disease, a treatable \ndisease, and it needs to be understood. \nHBO’s ADDICTION project is an initiative that will help people understand \nmore about this illness, its advancements and how to find \nhelp.”

\n

\n

-- Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of \nthe National Institute on Drug Abuse

\n

",1] ); //–>

Project Defines Addiction As

A Chronic Relapsing Brain Disease That Is Treatable

——–

Entire Series To Be Offered Free To Cable Subscribers

During Four-Day Preview On HBO, March 15-18

——–

“How can we comprehend the concept of a person who wants to stop doing something and cannot, despite catastrophic consequences? That is what we are up against. Some people don’t want to speak about addiction, or compare it to other chronic diseases. Well, this is a disease, a treatable disease, and it needs to be understood. HBO’s ADDICTION project is an initiative that will help people understand more about this illness, its advancements and how to find help.”

– Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse

<!– D(["mb","

\n

LOS ANGELES, Jan. \n12, 2007 – One in four Americans has a family member who is struggling with \naddiction. Over 80% of people with \nsubstance abuse or dependence disorder started using before age 18. Currently, addiction affects 22.2 \nmillion Americans. Yet only 9% are \nreceiving the treatment they need.

\n

In partnership with \nthe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), \nand the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), HBO launches \nthe ADDICTION project, an unprecedented multi-media campaign aimed at helping \nAmericans understand addiction as a treatable brain disease, as well as \nspotlighting new medical advancements. Debuting THURSDAY, MARCH 15 (9:00-10:30 \np.m. ET/PT), with the centerpiece documentary ADDICTION, the series is eye \nopening and ultimately \nhopeful, providing guidance in navigating the often-confusing world of addiction \ntreatment and recovery. \n

\n

For the first time, \nHBO will use all of its digital platforms, including the HBO main service, \nmultiplex channels, HBO On Demand, pod casts, web streams, and DVD sales to \nsupport a campaign that includes a 14-part documentary series, a book published \nby Rodale Press, four independent addiction-themed films, a robust website and a \nnational community grassroots outreach campaign funded by the Robert Wood \nJohnson Foundation. All films will \ninitially be offered during a free HBO preview weekend from Thursday, March 15 \nto Sunday, March 18 in participating cable systems.",1] ); //–>

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2007 – One in four Americans has a family member who is struggling with addiction. Over 80% of people with substance abuse or dependence disorder started using before age 18. Currently, addiction affects 22.2 million Americans. Yet only 9% are receiving the treatment they need.

In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), HBO launches the ADDICTION project, an unprecedented multi-media campaign aimed at helping Americans understand addiction as a treatable brain disease, as well as spotlighting new medical advancements. Debuting THURSDAY, MARCH 15 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), with the centerpiece documentary ADDICTION, the series is eye opening and ultimately hopeful, providing guidance in navigating the often-confusing world of addiction treatment and recovery.

For the first time, HBO will use all of its digital platforms, including the HBO main service, multiplex channels, HBO On Demand, pod casts, web streams, and DVD sales to support a campaign that includes a 14-part documentary series, a book published by Rodale Press, four independent addiction-themed films, a robust website and a national community grassroots outreach campaign funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. All films will initially be offered during a free HBO preview weekend from Thursday, March 15 to Sunday, March 18 in participating cable systems.<!– D(["mb","

\n

“HBO is utilizing \nall of its platforms to develop programming directly targeted to the various \nneeds of the American public on this complex public health issue,” says Chris \nAlbrecht, HBO’s chairman and CEO. \n“Our resources are committed to illuminating, demystifying and defining \naddiction – a problem that is riddled with \nmisconceptions.”

\n

\n

The \nADDICTION project showcases the work of many of today’s leading documentary \nfilmmakers, including Jon Alpert; Kate Davis and David Heilbroner; \nSusan Froemke; Liz \nGarbus and Rory Kennedy; Eugene Jarecki; Barbara \nKopple; Albert Maysles; \nD.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus; \nand Alan and Susan Raymond.

\n

\n

ADDICTION brings \ntogether leading thinkers and organizations that are at the threshold of new \ntreatments. Current advances in \nbrain imaging science make it possible to see inside the brain of an addicted \nperson, pinpoint the parts of the brain affected by addiction, and see how the \naddict’s brain differs, ushering in a great many advances in medical \ntreatment. In fact, treatments for \naddiction are now as effective as treatments for other chronic relapsing \ndiseases such as diabetes, hypertension or asthma.",1] ); //–>

“HBO is utilizing all of its platforms to develop programming directly targeted to the various needs of the American public on this complex public health issue,” says Chris Albrecht, HBO’s chairman and CEO. “Our resources are committed to illuminating, demystifying and defining addiction – a problem that is riddled with misconceptions.”

The ADDICTION project showcases the work of many of today’s leading documentary filmmakers, including Jon Alpert; Kate Davis and David Heilbroner; Susan Froemke; Liz Garbus and Rory Kennedy; Eugene Jarecki; Barbara Kopple; Albert Maysles; D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus; and Alan and Susan Raymond.

ADDICTION brings together leading thinkers and organizations that are at the threshold of new treatments. Current advances in brain imaging science make it possible to see inside the brain of an addicted person, pinpoint the parts of the brain affected by addiction, and see how the addict’s brain differs, ushering in a great many advances in medical treatment. In fact, treatments for addiction are now as effective as treatments for other chronic relapsing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or asthma.<!– D(["mb","

\n

\n

A candid depiction \nof the emotional, psychological, social and political toll that addiction takes \non the country, the ADDICTION project demonstrates conclusively that the disease \nis treatable and shows that there are millions of Americans in long-term \nrecovery. Topics covered \ninclude: the nature of addiction, \naddiction in the workplace, and the protracted insurance battles waged by \nfamilies, as well as the difficulty of finding and getting adequate treatment. \n

\n

The ADDICTION \nproject will be supported by an unprecedented 30-city nationwide community \noutreach campaign funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and coordinated \nby Join Together, Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Community Anti-Drug \nCoalitions of America (CADCA).

\n

The ADDICTION \nproject is produced by John Hoffman and Susan Froemke and executive produced by \nSheila Nevins. For additional \ninformation, visit hbo.com.

\n

\n

###

\n

\n

",1] ); //–>

A candid depiction of the emotional, psychological, social and political toll that addiction takes on the country, the ADDICTION project demonstrates conclusively that the disease is treatable and shows that there are millions of Americans in long-term recovery. Topics covered include: the nature of addiction, addiction in the workplace, and the protracted insurance battles waged by families, as well as the difficulty of finding and getting adequate treatment.

The ADDICTION project will be supported by an unprecedented 30-city nationwide community outreach campaign funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and coordinated by Join Together, Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA).

The ADDICTION project is produced by John Hoffman and Susan Froemke and executive produced by Sheila Nevins. For additional information, visit hbo.com.