With over a million people currently suffering addiction, and around 50 people dying every day from it, in this country alone, the issue deserves a lot more attention than it gets.
Yet it seems the only attention it does get is behind doors. You go to a meeting, and everyone talks about how bad it is to be addicted, and how wonderful it is to have gone 637 days without a drink. Or you go to rehab, and find yourself in an environment that's nothing like home. Either way, you walk out the door, and all the cues are screaming at you to get straight back into it, while nobody is there to constantly remind you of all the reasons you got off your drug(s) of choice.
The fact of the matter is, people get addicted to what they get addicted to because they like it. If you want to help someone get off their drug(s) of choice, it's probably a good idea to show the substance(s) some respect. It's also a good idea to be there for the addict when s/he needs you the most.
This is what The Fix does. Launched this week, the website offers a real-world take on drug addiction. It doesn't glorify drugs or addiction, but speaks about them from the perspective of people who have been there, incorporating expert opinions and advice from addiction and recovery professionals.
Billed as "Your daily dose of breaking news, exclusive interviews and investigative reports about sex, drugs, and alcohol addiction," The Fix was founded by people who know their subject matter well. Maer Roshan, who earlier founded Radar Magazine, spent some time after leaving that magazine in rehab for alchohol abuse, and Joe Schrank is a 'recovery specialist' (which means he spends a lot of time helping people through recovery, not actually in recovery).
With topics like, How do you overcome a relapse without feeling totally hopeless?; The Truth About the "New" Coke Vaccine; and Falling in Love with a Crackhead, you just know this site is about as gritty as you can get.
