Do drugs really "fry" your brain? Once an addict, always an
addict? Is there such a thing as an "addiction gene"? The
subject of addiction is plagued by myths and misinformation that
were created to scare our children away from drugs. But these
haven't succeeded, and have actually made it harder for addicts
to seek treatment and to return to a normal life. As a former
methamphetamine addict myself, I know how hard it is to overcome
both the addiction and, possibly even more so, the stigma that
society places on us because of these myths. In fact, in a study
I'm currently conducting at the University of California Los
Angeles, we're finding even more evidence that one of the top
reasons addicts put off treatment is a fear of the social
consequences. In a nutshell, people fear the label of "recovered
addict" more than they do the hardships of going "cold turkey."
Why? Because in many cases they risk facing social humiliation
and a variety of legal restrictions on driving, housing, custody
of children, business