Addiction Isn’t Political

Conventional marketing advice suggests authors are well-served by excluding our political views from our social media, blog posts, and public appearances. We’re here to entertain or educate on our subjects. We speak only on topics that we are knowledgeable in. The public isn’t asking us to weigh in on the latest news flash or election results or our moral beliefs, unless that is the genre we’ve set out to tackle in our work.

And yet, we are human beings who often care deeply about the world at large and that concern can influence our very desire to write what we write. I would argue, that in today’s heated environment, we all have deeply held opinions. So, what is a writer to do?

I was faced with this question recently and unexpectedly, as I begin media outreach for my upcoming memoir. My topics, alcoholism, and its effects on being a loved one of an addict, have never seemed to me to have a political undertone. I suppose one could argue that treatment options can be political, from the standpoint of access and affordability, but that is not an issue I address head-on in my book. We had the means to afford what was needed and my emphasis is on the emotional devastation my former husband’s disease brought to our marriage.

The issue that brought politics into my immediate book world was an invitation to appear on a radio program hosted by someone whose political views are the opposite of mine. It was clear by looking at previous guests, that politics were an important part of the conversation. Politics I disagree with strongly, and to be blunt, the invitation gave me pause. But politics is not my subject matter and I willingly agreed to come on-air and discuss my book and my experience of struggling with an alcoholic husband.

The interview went well. The host was delightful, asked thoughtful questions, and I received heartfelt emails from listeners who saw themselves in my experience. Days later I received a link to the full radio program. It was only then when I learned the guest I had been paired with, an individual that I personally oppose politically in the strongest terms. And with that, my name would now be linked in a headline for the full Googleverse of time.

I froze. I froze over the associations that could be made. I froze over the inability to control my voice. I froze over the permanence that internet search result would have on my name.

After sitting with it for a day, unable to even listen to my own interview, I thought back to how generous the host had been in encouraging his listeners to read my words. I returned to the emails I had received from listeners. I re-read their words of “your story is my story,” “I was meant to hear you tonight,” and “thank you for speaking.”

And I let go of my angst. No, I don’t want to be associated with the other guest on that radio program and firmly disagree with what he represents, but by being on that show, that night, by speaking about the topic that I have claimed as my voice of experience, I am helping others face the impact of their addictive loved ones and the impact on their family.

So, although politics have inadvertently entered my book world, I can put politics in its proper place because I’ve been reminded that addiction is never red or blue.