In Praise of……. Drug Addicts
Not all of them obviously….
Drug addicts do get somewhat of a bad rep within the NHS, mostly for good reason. The same goes within the Hep C treatment world, current users make very bad patients [we are taking the street drug addict in the main], they rarely follow up initial diagnosis and rarely complete the course of treatment. No point throwing good money after bad is the thinking and to be frank I find it hard to make a case against that. Let Chuck Darwin sort it out.
Ex-addicts also get a bad rep, again mostly justified if truth be told but in this case there are some diamonds in the rough. Ex-drug addicts can make very good patients indeed.
Here’s why…..
Hepatitis C treatment is not a trivial undertaking, those who successfully complete the course, regardless of outcome are to be treasured. Over 40% of people offered treatment [PDF] don’t complete the course or never even start never mind finish. The game is all about desire, its all about working single mindedly towards a goal, often at the exclusion of all other unrelated things.
Imagine a drug addict, no home, no car, no family, no money, poor health….yet day after day for years and years they manage to acquire very expensive street drugs. That shows the power of the single minded pursuit of a goal, thats something that puts you at a definite advantage in the hep c treatment game.
Now most of you reading will already know this, after all here in the UK I think its fairly well accepted that about 80% of people have hep c as a result of drug abuse. For the other 10% ish who acquired it through pre-1990’s blood products or transfusions you may have learnt enough about the value of working towards a goal, after all you are still here. Its the other 10% that concern me.
Maybe, just maybe, you could learn something from the passion, the determination, the never give in modus operandi of the drug addict?
sin·gle-mind·ed
adj.
1. Having one overriding purpose or goal.
2. Steadfast; resolute.
sin’gle-mind’ed·ly adv.