Ten years ago, I knew nothing about addiction. In the past decade, I have absorbed an abundant swirl of information, much of it rooted in out-of-date convictions and inaccurate science. And in my need to find both explanations and hope along the way, I often grabbed onto misinformation and held it close--until it was clear that things still made no sense.

Having said that, better information 10 years ago doesn't mean that the outcomes would have necessarily been different for either Charles or our marriage; at least, however, we might have been saner, healthier, and wiser people. Frankly, it would have helped if someone had said this one simple truth: our understanding of addiction and treatment is still in its infancy.

First, when I speak of addiction, I’m speaking of both drugs and alcohol. Second, these remarks are based on personal experience as a layperson and ultimately as an honest-to-goodness student of the subject. I figured if I was going to talk about the subject I’d better study it for real. Third, at the end of the day we are each responsible for our own health. It’s ultimately up to the individual to seek and accept treatment for any illness, including addiction.

There are four things I’d like to share in this audio:

• Addiction is incredibly misunderstood, we still have much to learn, and there is a lot of misinformation out there. I know because I used to believe some of it.

• Addiction is a public health issue.

• Addicts, and those at risk for addiction, deserve a better continuum of physical and behavioral care at the first signs of trouble that extend beyond the traditional 12 step model.

• For the rest of us, until we shift our personal biases and stop endorsing shaming cultural paradigms around addiction, we’re screwed.

Hit play and putter around the house while you listen. I welcome your comments and any dialogue that furthers our collective understanding and treatment of addiction.