It is Time for Oklahoma to Invest in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

Terri White, Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, had an excellent op-ed piece in last Sunday's issue of The Oklahoman. In it, she reminds us that addiction is a medical condition -- like other illnesses -- and requires and deserves medical attention. Here is the part that caught my attention:

Some argue that substance abuse is a “choice.” Initially, it is a choice, but it's a choice made by 12-year-olds. Let me repeat that: The average age Oklahomans take their first drink is 12. How many of us think we made our best choices at that age? If someone is prone to addiction, continued use alters the developing brain in ways that, within a few years, it is no longer a choice — it is a disease named addiction.

At any time, there are HUNDREDS of Oklahomans waiting to get into a substance abuse treatment program. They are broken and we should be figuring out how we can help them make themselves whole, again. If we don't, we will continue to deal with (to quote Ms. White) "death, imprisonment, car accidents, suicide, unemployment, child neglect, and other harrowing incidents that shatter lives, dreams and families."

You can read Commissioner White's piece by clicking here.