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A new documentary released Wednesday on PBS will be the subject of a thorough analysis of the incidence of opioid dependence on the brain.
The movie, "Addiction", created by the Boston team Nova, weave the stories of affected families alongside the work done by scientists to understand and treat the national epidemic, which killed over 63,600 people in 2016 alone.
Sarah Holt, director and producer of the film, told Boston.com that she hoped the documentary would help shed light on the stigma associated with addiction and help those looking for ways to help their relatives suffering from drug addiction.
"Like almost half of Americans, I watched parents, neighbors, [and] my friends were addicted, and it was amazing to me that families were navigating a failing care system – trying to find a way to help their loved ones and pay for it from their own pockets, often spending tens of thousands of dollars treatment that was not effective. Said Holt. "And I was stunned by the stigma surrounding the addiction. I thought that if I could make a movie that somehow explains the science of addition, help people understand how the brain is changing when it's exposed to drugs, that would be really important and would help maybe people realize that this is not a moral failure. This is not a question of weak willpower. It is a disconcerting force, an addiction. "
The most difficult aspect of this documentary was finding people willing to share their stories in front of the camera, she said. Even those who had years of recovery behind them did not want to talk about their struggles, fearing what would happen once others discovered it.
"I think stigma is huge, even in the language we use," said Holt. "We call people" clean "or" dirty. "You would never say that if someone had diabetes and high blood sugar, it was dirty."
In making the film, Holt, whose previous work includes "Can we stop Alzheimer's disease?? " stated that she wanted to explain how people became addicted, why this disease was considered a brain disorder and a chronic disease, and what an effective treatment looked like. Portion Dependent people should be part of the medical system, she said, and people with opioid addiction need support and compassion.
"People would say to me, "Oh, it must be so depressing to be working on a movie about addiction," Holt said. "And I really think the most important point is that it was not depressing because I could see that when people get the right treatment, they get better. I want people to know that addiction is a treatable medical problem – it's not a hopeless diagnosis. And we really have to take the lead and try to help people get the help they need. "
"Addiction", told by Joe Morton, is presented at 9 pm. on PBS. Watch an excerpt from the movie below:
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