President Biden’s Son Hunter Struggled with Addiction for Decades, Now He’s Telling His Story
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was a hot topic during the 2020 Presidential Race, due in large part to his well-known struggles with addiction. In his new memoir titled, “Beautiful Things” he provides a vulnerable and honest account of his addiction, sobriety, and what it took for him to achieve success in recovery. This candid account of his story is a great reminder that drug and alcohol abuse does not discriminate, even seemingly successful and wealthy individuals can fall victim to the constraints of addiction.
How Loss & Life Experiences Can Impact Sobriety
Hunter recalls how the death of his brother, Beau, fueled his spiral into a dark place of drug and alcohol abuse. In his book he stated, “After Beau died, I never felt more alone. I lost hope.” Despite the efforts of his family to help him, Hunter struggled for decades with crack addiction, even getting kicked out of the U.S. Navy after failing a drug test. Feeling hopeless and lost is a feeling a lot of addicts are familiar with and is often a catalyst that drives addiction. When these feelings get too hard to manage, people often turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain they are feeling and to escape reality. Using substances as a way to cope can seem comforting in the beginning, but it can quickly escalate into addiction. Hunter said, “drinking seemed to solve every unanswered question about why I felt the way I felt. It took away my inhibitions, my insecurities, and often my judgment. It made me feel complete, filling a hole I didn’t even realize was there—a feeling of loss and my sense of not being understood.” However, this all changed when he met his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, whom he credits with helping him get and remain sober.
Trauma & Addiction
For those of us not born into a life in the public eye, addiction can occur for a variety of reasons. Commonly, the effects of trauma, abuse, or untreated mental health conditions, can put someone at an increased risk of developing addiction. In fact, studies have shown that 25-75% of victims abuse alcohol or drugs. The connection between trauma and substance abuse has been a widely researched topic. One theory as to why there is such a strong correlation is that people often use substances as a way to self-medicate when facing unpleasant feelings. Another theory addresses how substance abuse can often present unsafe situations for the user, adding to traumatic experiences they’ve had in their life. As a result, drug and alcohol addiction treatment should include trauma therapies as well.
How The Source Can Help You Achieve Recovery
The Source Treatment Center in Ft. Lauderdale is a nationally accredited drug and alcohol treatment facility. They understand the impact trauma and co-occurring conditions can have on addiction so treatment is tailored to help you process and treat them. Upon admission to their luxurious facility, you will receive a full medical exam as well as a comprehensive psychosocial assessment to develop a treatment plan that fits your individual needs. The Source will consult with your primary care provider to determine any prior medications or treatment modalities that have been helpful in the past as well. Once the appropriate level of care is determined, you will receive a variety of therapies to help you process your trauma and heal from the impact of it, along with traditional addiction treatment. Their compassionate and caring team will be there for you every step of the way and take great pride in helping you achieve recovery. For more information about our programs, please call (800) 204-0418 or visit us online at www.thesourcetreatmentcenter.com.
The Source quite frankly saved my life and got me back on track, never giving giving up on me. When you are thinking about and looking through all of the different places to go for treatment this is the one that should stand out from the rest.
