CarlDec 21, 2022
Napaaqtuk

#Natives: if your doc tries to push the narrative that Natives have higher rates of alcohol abuse, please point them to the study below. Natives abstain from alcohol at higher rates (probably because we've been told for several generations that we are drunks) than white people and our binge rate is the same as why folks. I am so tired of this narrative. It hampers our treatment at clinics and leads to mistrust of docs. MDs NEED to be educated on this.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26868862/

Alcohol use among Native Americans compared to whites: Examining the veracity of the 'Native American elevated alcohol consumption' belief - PubMed

In contrast to the 'Native American elevated alcohol consumption' belief, Native Americans compared to whites had lower or comparable rates across the range of alcohol measures examined.

PubMed
Dec 5, 2022 at 12:19amWeb
Show threadJim GravesDec 20, 2022
@Napaaqtuk Alcoholism is a completely non discriminatory addiction. It doesn't care who you are nor where you're from. Once it has hold of you, it's hard to shift even with the skills of the dedicated folk who help us along the way to sobriety. Pushing certain narratives isn't helpful. We are in the 21st century FFS! No single group is more susceptible than any other.
Jim
Brit with 14 years of sobriety behind him and plenty more ahead.
Show threadPamela EhnDec 21, 2022
@Jim_Graves @Napaaqtuk Alcoholism may not discriminate but a racist characterization of Native Americans being inherently alcoholic does not help, especially for those who are alcoholic. In the US, many natives don’t even have access to healthcare. How do you think a provider will help someone if they assume that person is alcoholic because of their ethnicity?
Show threadJim GravesDec 21, 2022
@cadenza @Napaaqtuk
Indeed. That is wrong and needs to change. Alcoholism doesn't discriminate based on a persons race and neither should the health care provider. I fear we may have to fight for another hundred years before the First Nations are treated with the respect they deserve as human beings. I wish you well xx
Show threadPamela EhnDec 21, 2022
@Jim_Graves @Napaaqtuk Racism in the medical profession is an ongoing problem and it’s not because doctors are consciously racist (I think few doctors are) but unconscious bias runs the show to everyone’s detriment. I wish there was a program to put Natives through medical school because while more native doctors won’t solve the issue, it would definitely help.
Show threadJim GravesDec 21, 2022
@cadenza @Napaaqtuk It would go a long way to changing that bias.
Show threadCarl JohnsonDec 21, 2022
@Napaaqtuk MDs suck at understanding addiction, period. I've spent more time educating them than they have me.
Show threadNickDec 22, 2022
@Napaaqtuk Yeah and there's no shortage of screwed up narratives in general too. I have no idea about the numbers for any given area but throw in other drugs etc, wow addiction sure is taking it's heartbreaking toll.