I try to be really careful on this blog to avoid politics. It’s not that I don’t have political convictions; it’s just that politics is polarizing, and all I want to do here is to share and support.

So please understand that I’m not taking a political stance saying what I’m saying here. I simply cannot stand by and see this happen.

It is never acceptable to mock someone’s struggle with substance misuse. It’s even less acceptable to weaponize the struggles of a son against his father.

Addiction doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Rather, substance misuse is most often the manifestation of other issues – underlying mental illness, trauma, brain injury. Identifying and treating these issues themselves takes patience, compassion, support and resources.

Addiction is not a character flaw; it’s a flawed coping mechanism. Addiction affects 21 million Americans, yet only 10% receive treatment. Addiction causes immeasurable pain to loved ones.

Roughly 20% of Americans who have depression or an anxiety disorder also have a substance use disorder.

Ignorance and mean-spiritedness accomplish nothing. Rather, we need to educate ourselves. We need to find compassion for each other. We need to do better.