DR MARC SIEGEL: How AA, faith and science align with Trump's fight against addiction

I applaud President Trump’s Jan. 29 enforcement bid known arsenic the Great American Recovery Initiative, but I deliberation it should beryllium renamed the Bill W. and Dr. Bob Initiative, aft the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. Both men suffered from terrible alcoholism until a fateful time successful December 1934, erstwhile Bill Wilson experienced a spiritual awakening — described arsenic a blinding achromatic airy — aft demanding that God amusement Himself. Bill besides described the sensation of lasting connected a upland with the upwind of the Spirit blowing done him, and helium instantly felt liberated, his obsession with intoxicant gone.

This conversion acquisition formed the ground for Bill W.’s spiritual translation and betterment from alcoholism, and it led to the halfway 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, which Bill W. co-founded successful June 1935 with Dr. Robert Smith. Dr. Bob besides suffered from terrible alcoholism, and Bill W. helped him quit. By that June, Dr. Bob had taken his last drink. Together with Sister Ignatia, Dr. Bob helped transportation his state from intoxicant to others, providing aesculapian attraction and carnal guidance to thousands of alcoholics successful Akron, Ohio, and astir the country.

The crushed I judge President Trump’s inaugural could beryllium called the Bill W. and Dr. Bob Initiative is because, similar AA, it recognizes the value of community, wellness and faith. These elements indispensable beryllium cardinal tenets of the program for it to beryllium successful. The White House announcement states its extremity is "to coordinate a nationalist effect to the illness of addiction crossed government, wellness care, religion communities and the backstage assemblage successful bid to prevention lives, reconstruct families, fortify our communities and physique the Great American Recovery."

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Trump’s inaugural was soon followed this week by the HHS $100 cardinal Safety Through Recovery, Engagement and Evidence-based Treatment and Supports (STREETS) program, which volition absorption connected addiction, intelligence health, homelessness and situation intervention. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during an announcement addressing intelligence wellness and addiction initiatives successful Washington, D.C., connected Feb. 2, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

This is simply a much-needed programme and I was gladsome to spot it spearheaded by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., himself a recovered heroin addict, on with his cousin, erstwhile Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a recovering alcoholic whom I person interviewed and recovered to beryllium a almighty and convincing dependable for recovery.

The crushed I judge President Trump’s inaugural could beryllium called the Bill W. and Dr. Bob Initiative is because, similar AA, it recognizes the value of community, wellness and faith. 

Keep successful caput that denial is simply a cardinal portion of the occupation for astir addicts, and heavy faith, on with relation modeling, is simply a captious mode to flooded that denial. As the White House pointed retired successful its information sheet, "48.4 cardinal Americans, oregon 16.8% of our nation’s population, endure from addiction, yet precise fewer who request attraction person it oregon judge they request it."

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During President Trump’s archetypal term, successful 2019, erstwhile helium declared the opioid situation a nationalist wellness emergency, helium besides acknowledged that his member Fred had "a very, very, precise pugnacious life" earlier succumbing to alcoholism and bosom disease. Trump said the aforesaid to maine erstwhile I interviewed him astatine the White House successful July 2020, and I could spot however profoundly the nonaccomplishment affected him personally.

Trump’s bosom is intelligibly successful the close spot erstwhile it comes to the existent inaugural — and helium is not alone. The announcement of the caller national program to combat cause and intoxicant addiction included Kathryn Burgum, a erstwhile alcoholic and the woman of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, arsenic good arsenic United State Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who told the communicative of his lad dying from a cause overdose during the event.

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Raising consciousness is simply a lofty goal, on with acknowledging conscionable however hard addictions are to break. The relation of religion and the religion indispensable beryllium emphasized, but truthful excessively indispensable the technological tools that alteration miraculous recoveries — from buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, to naltrexone, an opioid antagonist that blocks some euphoria and craving. GLP-1 agonists are besides showing committedness successful decreasing cravings for intoxicant and drugs and reducing intoxicant consumption, successful portion by delaying gastric emptying. Medically assisted therapy for opioids — specifically methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine — has been shown to trim opioid-related deaths by much than 50%.

As I wrote successful my caller book, "The Miracles Among Us," alleged brushed miracles originate from an intricate operation of subject and faith.

All these tools indispensable beryllium paid for, and the national authorities should assistance marque them much available. Indeed, each superior attraction doc similar maine should person the unrestricted quality to prescribe these lifesaving medications, and each large religion and synagogue should person a federally subsidized betterment programme for cause and intoxicant addiction.

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Addiction destroys not conscionable individuals, but full families and communities. Recovery from addiction is simply a multi-pronged process involving faith, entree to prime wellness attraction and committed leaders who tin subordinate to the problem. 

Ninety years aft Bill W. and Dr. Bob started america down the way toward beating addiction, their caring, spiritual attack is much important than ever.

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