Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected] President Joe Biden’s son Hunter has just been convicted on three felony counts that are directly related to his addiction. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3 percent of that population) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year. That is almost one in five Americans. As a physician who treated hundreds of patients with this illness, I witnessed the shame of patients and their families that surrounds this diagnosis and often prevents patients from seeking treatment. SUD is a brain illness that is often chronic; the patient needs to be constantly vigilant for symptoms that may lead to relapse. Because the illness affects the brain, which is the organ that makes decisions, this illness is insidious and affects the families and friends of those afflicted. Behaviors of those struggling with this illness often seem incomprehensible to those around them and it is because the brain has been rewired as a result of the drug use itself. I marvel at the grace of the Biden family in helping Hunter navigate the consequences of his behaviors. President and Mrs. Biden have publicly displayed unwavering love and support despite not only the political atmosphere but the challenges to them as parents. Which parent would not want to protect their child from harm no matter the circumstances? What this shows to me is the humanity of Joe Biden. His love for his son is unconditional and yet, I believe, he knows that part of his son’s recovery — and, in this case, the justice system’s integrity — depends on Hunter’s facing the consequences of his behaviors. We should marvel that we have a president who is capable of such compassion. Lisa Buck
Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected] President Joe Biden’s son Hunter has just been convicted on three felony counts that are directly related to his addiction. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3 percent of that population) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year. That is almost one in five Americans. As a physician who treated hundreds of patients with this illness, I witnessed the shame of patients and their families that surrounds this diagnosis and often prevents patients from seeking treatment. SUD is a brain illness that is often chronic; the patient needs to be constantly vigilant for symptoms that may lead to relapse. Because the illness affects the brain, which is the organ that makes decisions, this illness is insidious and affects the families and friends of those afflicted. Behaviors of those struggling with this illness often seem incomprehensible to those around them and it is because the brain has been rewired as a result of the drug use itself. I marvel at the grace of the Biden family in helping Hunter navigate the consequences of his behaviors. President and Mrs. Biden have publicly displayed unwavering love and support despite not only the political atmosphere but the challenges to them as parents. Which parent would not want to protect their child from harm no matter the circumstances? What this shows to me is the humanity of Joe Biden. His love for his son is unconditional and yet, I believe, he knows that part of his son’s recovery — and, in this case, the justice system’s integrity — depends on Hunter’s facing the consequences of his behaviors. We should marvel that we have a president who is capable of such compassion. Lisa Buck
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