ARE PEOPLE WITH ADDICTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESSES LOSERS?
Peter Andrew Sacco, Ph.D.
June 02, 2007
My name is Peter S. and I am not an alcoholic, drug addict, gambler in recovery, nor do I possess bi-polar depression, OCD, schizophrenia or any eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia. What I am is a professor, author, private practitioner and Editor-in-Chief of Vices: The Magazine For Addictions, Habits And Mental Wellness. And before those of you with addictions, mental illness, or those of you who have loved ones with these problems lynch me because of the title of this article, I just want you to know, I don’t believe for one moment in the title of this article! With that said, unfortunately, many of those in society possessing these ailments and not possessing these ailments share the sentiments of the article’s title and it bothers me! Too many people just don’t care!
Myself along with a few others created Vices Magazine nearly 4 years ago as an on-line magazine. We created it to help people suffering with addiction, mental illness and concurrent disorders. We wanted to create a cyber treatment center of sorts which helped educate, treat and even prevent addiction and illness. We have been extremely successful in reaching millions over the years and touching people’s live not only in North America but also overseas. It was toward the end of last year we decided to go hardcover format at the urging of our many readers and supporters. We wanted to bring the dream of the only magazine of its kind to people in the USA and Canada and around the world. Over the years we have been blessed to have been supported and helped by the likes of Dr. Robert Schuller, Joyce Meyer, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Kathy Ireland, Pat Summerall, Eric Clapton, Dr. William Glasser, Dr. Bernie Seigel and Universal Studios to name a few. Interestingly, many of our biggest supporters were those not suffering from mental health disorders and addiction. Even more interesting is the fact that of our 15 board members, columnists and staff, only 3 have illness or addiction!
I created this magazine because I found a need and decided to fill it. Our magazine is non-profit and we aren’t out looking to get rich or turn the world upside down with overnight success. My goal along with the people involved with this magazine was to help those hurting and those who have loved ones hurting. Moreover, we want to help those in line to be the next generation of addicts and depressed… Today’s and tomorrows children and youth. Did you know that at any point 20-25% of society is depressed or possesses some sort of mental illness? Furthermore, it is now estimated that greater than 25% possess some sort of addiction or debilitating habit which is proving to be harmful physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Porn sites and on-line gambling sites have now grown into the tens of millions for on-line pages on the Internet. People are gambling with their lives. Children are fast becoming the number one consumers of psychiatric services! Does anyone care? Really, does anyone truly give a damn?
To answer my rhetorical question, I wanted to see what people really thought. This summer, we were going to release a special summer edition of our magazine across Canada and the United States. We were going to put out over 30,000 copies through Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Coles, Indigo and many other newsstands and pharmacies. Since our printing costs were going to be higher than normal, we decided to offer up cheap advertising. If you were to advertise in high profile magazines, it will cost companies anywhere from $10,000-$20,000 per page and even more in some magazines, back covers included. We were offering up full gloss, color page ads for $1000.00. That’s right folks, $1000.00! We contacted many of the pharmaceutical companies who run ads in many of the big commercial magazines and guess what? They turned us down! Do you believe that? They are putting out drugs to treat mental health disease and other physical ailments which we cover in our magazine and they informed us what they offer isn’t a good fit! Furthermore, we contacted many of the huge companies that advertise in these commercial magazines and asked them to basically donate to advertise in our magazine. Many of the companies we contacted claimed to help and care about addictions and mental health. Guess what? We rolled another big fat meatball with not one or two, but all of them! Many cited it wasn’t a good fit. A good fit? Perhaps, the paraphrased answer should have been, “we just don’t care as long as people are buying our products.” We contacted alcohol and beverage companies, along with those who put out smokes and gambling to see if they would offer up, “use responsibly” ads and guess what? Another big fat meatball! We then went to many government organizations and even all the way up to the top. Many informed us that this wasn’t their thing. President George Bush’s office was the only political office to take the time and write us a letter encouraging us. Folks, I am Canadian, not to be confused with the “beer commercial” and I couldn’t get 10 minutes time with any political officials in Canada…they were all too busy!
So, let’s see if I have this straight. We are a non-profit organization, trying to help people. We have had the door slammed in our face by several celebrities who are in recovery or preach about “just say no to drugs”. We have had the door slammed in our face by multi-million and billion dollar companies who pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to advertise their products, many of which are purchased by those with addiction and mental illness. Many government officials are just too busy to give us 10 minutes for a short interview to offer hope to the suffering. And others who are in recovery just don’t care. They are fixed, so why worry about others, right?
Who really truly cares about the addicted, afflicted and mentally ill? For starters, I do! Also, there are a handful of us trying to make a difference in a wonderful world. We want the lives of many, not just a few to be more than wonderful. I have worked with cops and witnessed the kids on the streets doing crack, meth, weed and ecstasy. Many of them under the age of 18! Do parents really know what their kids are up too? I have counseled kids who have sexually assaulted other kids because they watch a lot of porn. I have facilitated family counseling sessions because children have run up phone bills and their parents’ credit cards because they are gambling on-line. When will it stop? Who is going to take the first step, and not just a baby step to help cure the situation rather than offering up a pep talk? I have come across so many people which blow so much hot air you’d swear they were addicted to helium! Do people turn a blind eye and chose to be oblivious because they have their own addictions or illnesses? One of my favorite songs of all time is Elvis Presley’s song In The Ghetto. To see young kids on street corners, at cinemas on the weekend and in parks smoking and already doing drugs brings this song to life in my head.
I challenge anyone out there who is reading this to make a difference. Folks, we’re not losing the battle to terrorism. We are losing the battle to addiction and mental illness. We need people who care to make a difference in this world and the generations to follow. It’s time to care. And anyone reading this who might be fighting their own private battle with addiction or mental illness always remember there is hope and someone out there needs you. The world is always a better place because you are in it! For anyone wanting to learn more about what we are doing or who wants to help, please contact us at www.vicesmagazine.net or e-mail me at psacco1@cogeco.ca. We are looking for new partners, organizations and people to help people help themselves.
Myself along with a few others created Vices Magazine nearly 4 years ago as an on-line magazine. We created it to help people suffering with addiction, mental illness and concurrent disorders. We wanted to create a cyber treatment center of sorts which helped educate, treat and even prevent addiction and illness. We have been extremely successful in reaching millions over the years and touching people’s live not only in North America but also overseas. It was toward the end of last year we decided to go hardcover format at the urging of our many readers and supporters. We wanted to bring the dream of the only magazine of its kind to people in the USA and Canada and around the world. Over the years we have been blessed to have been supported and helped by the likes of Dr. Robert Schuller, Joyce Meyer, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Kathy Ireland, Pat Summerall, Eric Clapton, Dr. William Glasser, Dr. Bernie Seigel and Universal Studios to name a few. Interestingly, many of our biggest supporters were those not suffering from mental health disorders and addiction. Even more interesting is the fact that of our 15 board members, columnists and staff, only 3 have illness or addiction!
I created this magazine because I found a need and decided to fill it. Our magazine is non-profit and we aren’t out looking to get rich or turn the world upside down with overnight success. My goal along with the people involved with this magazine was to help those hurting and those who have loved ones hurting. Moreover, we want to help those in line to be the next generation of addicts and depressed… Today’s and tomorrows children and youth. Did you know that at any point 20-25% of society is depressed or possesses some sort of mental illness? Furthermore, it is now estimated that greater than 25% possess some sort of addiction or debilitating habit which is proving to be harmful physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Porn sites and on-line gambling sites have now grown into the tens of millions for on-line pages on the Internet. People are gambling with their lives. Children are fast becoming the number one consumers of psychiatric services! Does anyone care? Really, does anyone truly give a damn?
To answer my rhetorical question, I wanted to see what people really thought. This summer, we were going to release a special summer edition of our magazine across Canada and the United States. We were going to put out over 30,000 copies through Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Coles, Indigo and many other newsstands and pharmacies. Since our printing costs were going to be higher than normal, we decided to offer up cheap advertising. If you were to advertise in high profile magazines, it will cost companies anywhere from $10,000-$20,000 per page and even more in some magazines, back covers included. We were offering up full gloss, color page ads for $1000.00. That’s right folks, $1000.00! We contacted many of the pharmaceutical companies who run ads in many of the big commercial magazines and guess what? They turned us down! Do you believe that? They are putting out drugs to treat mental health disease and other physical ailments which we cover in our magazine and they informed us what they offer isn’t a good fit! Furthermore, we contacted many of the huge companies that advertise in these commercial magazines and asked them to basically donate to advertise in our magazine. Many of the companies we contacted claimed to help and care about addictions and mental health. Guess what? We rolled another big fat meatball with not one or two, but all of them! Many cited it wasn’t a good fit. A good fit? Perhaps, the paraphrased answer should have been, “we just don’t care as long as people are buying our products.” We contacted alcohol and beverage companies, along with those who put out smokes and gambling to see if they would offer up, “use responsibly” ads and guess what? Another big fat meatball! We then went to many government organizations and even all the way up to the top. Many informed us that this wasn’t their thing. President George Bush’s office was the only political office to take the time and write us a letter encouraging us. Folks, I am Canadian, not to be confused with the “beer commercial” and I couldn’t get 10 minutes time with any political officials in Canada…they were all too busy!
So, let’s see if I have this straight. We are a non-profit organization, trying to help people. We have had the door slammed in our face by several celebrities who are in recovery or preach about “just say no to drugs”. We have had the door slammed in our face by multi-million and billion dollar companies who pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to advertise their products, many of which are purchased by those with addiction and mental illness. Many government officials are just too busy to give us 10 minutes for a short interview to offer hope to the suffering. And others who are in recovery just don’t care. They are fixed, so why worry about others, right?
Who really truly cares about the addicted, afflicted and mentally ill? For starters, I do! Also, there are a handful of us trying to make a difference in a wonderful world. We want the lives of many, not just a few to be more than wonderful. I have worked with cops and witnessed the kids on the streets doing crack, meth, weed and ecstasy. Many of them under the age of 18! Do parents really know what their kids are up too? I have counseled kids who have sexually assaulted other kids because they watch a lot of porn. I have facilitated family counseling sessions because children have run up phone bills and their parents’ credit cards because they are gambling on-line. When will it stop? Who is going to take the first step, and not just a baby step to help cure the situation rather than offering up a pep talk? I have come across so many people which blow so much hot air you’d swear they were addicted to helium! Do people turn a blind eye and chose to be oblivious because they have their own addictions or illnesses? One of my favorite songs of all time is Elvis Presley’s song In The Ghetto. To see young kids on street corners, at cinemas on the weekend and in parks smoking and already doing drugs brings this song to life in my head.
I challenge anyone out there who is reading this to make a difference. Folks, we’re not losing the battle to terrorism. We are losing the battle to addiction and mental illness. We need people who care to make a difference in this world and the generations to follow. It’s time to care. And anyone reading this who might be fighting their own private battle with addiction or mental illness always remember there is hope and someone out there needs you. The world is always a better place because you are in it! For anyone wanting to learn more about what we are doing or who wants to help, please contact us at www.vicesmagazine.net or e-mail me at psacco1@cogeco.ca. We are looking for new partners, organizations and people to help people help themselves.