Tobacco.Alcohol.Drugs.Why can’t they just stop?
This seemed to be the underlining question on everyone’s tongue Monday night at the Meymandi Concert Hall at the premiere of HBO’s new series Addiction.
Most of the series is filmed documentary style with real life stories from addicts and professionals who deal with such issues. Each episode features a different situation, everything from crack to alcohol.
The 14-part series features experts in the field of medicine discussing addictions with substances like alcohol and opiates.
According to the documentary, new studies are constantly being administered to try and recognize addiction as a manageable chronic disease.
One of the episodes in the series entitled “Brain Imaging” showed brain scans from a methamphetamine addict compared with a normal male.
Another goal of the series is to find cures to these addictions. In the episode called “Opioid Addiction: A New Medication,” a new product called Suboxone was given to a group of teenagers along with group therapy in hopes of overcoming opioid addictions.
One of the addicts in the show said Suboxone made getting off heroin much easier. The only problem with the drug is the cost for those without insurance.
First lady of North Carolina Mary Easley spoke before the presentation on the subject of underage drinking. She said this is becoming an increasing problem in children and most will take their first drinks by the sixth grade.
She said alcohol is simply a gateway to further drugs and addiction.
“Addiction’s seeds are planted early,” Easley said.
One of the episodes deals with just such a situation. A 15-year-old named Dylan tells his story about how he became hooked on everything from marijuana to acid.
Dylan suffered rage problems and eventually resorted to cutting himself.
Easley said she hopes with this medium more Americans can be reached and hopefully do something about the problem.
“With this program we have been given the tool to learn more about addiction,” she said.
One of the reoccurring themes throughout the series is how families are affected by the addiction of loved ones. In the case of Dylan, his mother and stepfather said they had trouble communicating with their child because of his addictions.
Another episode dealt with a mother and daughter relationship. The girl had been a head cheerleader and seemed popular but didn’t like herself. According to her mother, she couldn’t think clearly.
The mother in the episode got so desperate to help her daughter that she had her arrested. It ended with a car ride home and a talk between mother and daughter about trying to help each other out.
Before the program, Pat Conner, a representative from HBO, said one in every four Americans has a family member who has an addiction to alcohol or drugs. She said she hopes this program will educate Americans about treatment methods.
“We are fortunate to have the depth of knowledge about addiction,” Conner said.
A major part of overcoming addiction is preventing relapse into the drug problem. In the episode called “The Science of Relapse,” a doctor breaks down the brain into a simple concept of “stop” and “go.”
She said when the brain wants something, that is the “go,” but bad decisions are usually not followed through with because of the “stop” part. With drug addicts, the “stop” section no longer works.
Fortunately, there has been extensive research to prevent this from happening. A new prescription called Baclofen hopes to block the “go” system from taking over.
While most of the episodes are suitable for everyone to watch, there are a few specific instances of language and, in one case, some graphic footage of an emergency room.
Because the series deals with such serious issues, there is little room for any comedy. Most of the time, the filmmakers resort to pulling on the heartstrings of the viewers to get the point across.