As a recovering alcoholic I know for a fact that most people, even family and close friends, have a hard time understanding the disease concept of this addiction.
Substance abuse, a rite of passage in our culture, is something almost everyone can relate to and this contextual familiarity makes it that much more difficult for people to grasp the mental illness aspect of alcoholism. An example, “I mean after all, I used to drink like a fish but I grew out of it.”
The fact that as practicing alcoholics we do very little to ingratiate ourselves with others it is a wonder that anyone has even taken the time to try to understand our disease and help other than those of us who practice the twelfth step. So it is no wonder I am riled that when someone not only makes it harder those suffering from addiction to get help, but also taints the growing perception that the disease should be treated instead of punished.
The target of my ire is Joseph W. McMullen of New Jersey, the first recipient of the TDA Drunk Skunk award for his selfish use of the New Jersey Alcohol Treatment and Rehabilitation Act to beat a public intoxication rap.
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