A press release confirmed today that Congressman Patrick Kennedy is writing a book where he will heavily focus on addiction and his own struggles with it. His exploits are well documented, he has been a “chronic relapser” and a strong advocate of the disease model of addiction and the view of recovery as a “lifelong” process, as he stated while checking in to yet another rehab in June of 2009. Here is his statement in his current press release:
“I realize that I have an enormous opportunity to turn my biggest liability — my illness, which includes addiction — into an asset to help countless numbers of Americans who quietly suffer and cannot afford treatment or risk telling their employers. That’s why I’m writing this book. I hope that by telling the real story of my own personal struggle, I can kick off my life-long mission: to destigmatize addiction and other neurological ailments, and break down the barriers between research and treatment of different types of brain disorders.”
He considers addiction a neurological illness – his book will not help, it will hurt. No one will be helped by hearing him make excuses for his lifetime of debauchery – unless they can read it critically and understand the absurdity of all his claims, and understand it as the type of thinking that leads you to re-enter rehabs at 42 years old.
Oh, by the way – spreading the disease message apparently hasn’t reduced stigma according to this recent study.
I guess I agree with what you are saying although I don’t want too :p