Editorial Comment  1/28/2020: Allies

"My cup is full.  Let it spill.”

- Robert Friend

This past month a friend died. He did so quietly, drawing no attention to himself, despite having known for a number of years that this was impending; and certainly imminent within the past few months.  I only knew of it because of a kind of long-term, episodic, two-student mini-seminar that we held for each other, on the topic of life’s end.

The cause of his death was what will likely occur for many of us who are older - although he was not so very far into middle-age himself - if we are not infected by a Chinese chicken, stricken by a smartphone-distracted Mercedes-Benz driver, or overcome by gravity while a passenger in a helicopter.  Nor was it from a substance use disorder, with all its attendant risks of infection and trauma. It was a cancer, for which the merits of 21^st-century medicine shone, in that his life’s length and quality were clearly improved by treatment.  I am mentioning my friend, whom I shall call Mike, because he is one of the legions of healthcare workers, writers, administrators, janitors and clerks who make it possible for those focusing on addiction to do their jobs. We rightly recognize those in the field who deal directly with addiction patients, or conduct research, or even simply teach; but in almost-daily contact with the ASAM staff, I am reminded that there are many ways by which our patients are served.  Mike certainly had training in an allied health field, but he was best at securing the funding and organizing the logistics requisite to putting on training programs and creating a cadre of addiction specialists. He once joked that he fell into the category of “the little people” who are episodically acknowledged by those in cinema receiving Oscars.  Where humility is a quality strongly favored by (most) recovery programs, it is not normally so highly-valued in commerce or administration.  Yet, a want of self-centeredness and a tireless dedication to quietly supporting others’ efforts was his stock-in trade - always quiet, always mindful of the limitations of our patients, always placing the mission ahead of any reward.

He worked until two days before he passed away, at home, privately, unobtrusively.

- Editor-in-Chief: Dr. William Haning, MD, DFAPA, DFASAM