Addiction Treatment Should Look Like This

In this episode of Restorations, Caitlyn McKenney is joined by the founder of Battlefield Addiction Art Dahlen. As a former addict, Art shares personal insights on addiction treatment, the policy environment in Seattle, and the power of language. Learn more about Battlefield Addiction at battlefieldaddiction.com Join the conversation on X @CaitlynMcKenney or @DiscoveryCWP.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Restorations, host Caitlyn McKenney speaks with Art Dahlen, founder of Battlefield Addiction, about addiction, recovery, and harm reduction policies in Seattle. The discussion explores personal experiences, societal impacts, and effective strategies for combating addiction and homelessness.

Key Points Discussed

1. Draft Legislation in WA State:
   • Caitlyn critiques a proposed Washington State bill that could prohibit regulations impacting the use of public space, including bans on camping or drug use, as discriminatory against the homeless. She contrasts this with Arizona’s legislation, which holds local leaders accountable for enforcing laws and allows property tax refunds for failures to address public nuisances.
2. Art’s Personal Story:
   • Art recounts his recovery journey, crediting his family’s firm stance—cutting off access and enabling behaviors—as the turning point that led him to sobriety.
   • He emphasizes the importance of family and the role of hitting “rock bottom,” whether financial, emotional, or physical, as a catalyst for recovery.
3. Battlefield Addiction’s Approach:
   • Battlefield Addiction focuses on treating families alongside individuals. By helping families stop enabling addiction, they create conditions that motivate individuals toward recovery.
   • Art describes addiction as requiring leverage to prompt change. His program works with families to implement strategies that encourage self-determination and the desire for sobriety.
4. Criticism of Current Policies:
   • Art critiques Seattle’s harm reduction strategies as enabling environments for continued drug use rather than pathways to sobriety. Caitlyn and Art discuss these policies as creating “hospices” for addicts, allowing them to die more comfortably rather than helping them recover.
   • He highlights the importance of accountability and intervention over unconditional comfort, stressing that enabling behaviors—whether by families or cities—exacerbate the problem.
5. Role of Law Enforcement and Carceral Systems:
   • Art supports using leverage, including legal consequences, to encourage individuals to seek treatment.
   • He challenges the idea that addiction can be addressed without first stopping drug use, arguing that interventions like incarceration or strict enforcement may sometimes be necessary.
6. The Language of Addiction:
   • Art rejects terms like “substance use disorder,” arguing they victimize addicts and shift focus from responsibility and empowerment.
   • He takes pride in the term “addict” and sees recovery as reclaiming strength and agency.
7. Family Dynamics in Recovery:
   • Families of addicts often experience division, with enablers and strict members clashing. Art highlights the need for unified family strategies to reduce harm and support recovery effectively.
   • Battlefield Addiction works with families to align approaches and create healthier dynamics that foster long-term recovery.
8. Final Thoughts:
   • Art calls for a community-wide focus on sobriety as the first step to helping addicts. He emphasizes the importance of holding individuals accountable and being a firm, unwavering stand for their recovery.
   • He critiques societal attempts to address addiction through comfort and leniency, advocating for tougher but compassionate approaches that prioritize sobriety and long-term well-being.

Conclusion:

The episode sheds light on addiction recovery from a deeply personal and practical perspective, questioning Seattle’s harm reduction policies and emphasizing accountability and sobriety as central to effective treatment. Art’s insights challenge listeners to reconsider how society approaches addiction, urging alignment around the shared goal of ending the cycle of dependency.