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Heather Howard
Prof. Geiselman
English 1101
June 28, 2019

Addiction is a Disease “Silence Equals Death”

Michael Botticelli, an individual recovering from the disease of addiction; delivers a

speech in October 2016, to bring awareness to the continued stigma placed on individuals

struggling with substance use disorder. He incorporates the progress made with the LGBT

stigma, opposed to addiction. When Botticelli was nominated by President Obama to serve as the

Director of Drug Policy, despite being successful in Recovery for twenty years, Botticelli, still

carrying the stigma, felt more comfortable coming out as a gay man than a person with the

history of addiction. “And at no point during my confirmation process – at least that I know of –

did the fact that I was a gay man come to bear on my candidacy or my fitness to do this job. But

my addiction did.” As someone who has struggled with addiction issues, I can relate to the

speech. I, like Botticelli, have been in recovery for eight years and still feel the stigma.

By starting the speech off with a self-reflection of “lived experience,” Botticelli

establishes his credibility, or ethos early on. As he describes the broken man, he was twenty-

eight years ago, I believe he delivers a powerful description of the disease. “I was a broken man.

And you probably wouldn’t be able to tell if you met me. I had a good job at a well-respected

academic institution. I dressed well, of course. But my insides were rotting away.” I feel his

ability to share openly with the audience only increases his knowledgeable credibility.
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Botticelli’s speech was successful at creating an emotional response and helping the

audience “feel” the stigma. He was able to paint a picture of the stigmas intertwining; the fear

attached to HIV and AIDS, the LQBT rights, and addiction issues. Pathos was woven throughout

the speech. His presentation was persuasive and allowed the audience to engage and share

empathy. I truly felt it when Botticelli compared today’s opioid epidemic and overdoses to the

AIDS crisis in the eighties.” During the 1980s, scores of people were dying from HIV and AIDS.

Public officials ignored it. Some wouldn’t even utter the words. They didn’t want treatment. And

tragically, there are many parallels with our current epidemic. Some called it the gay plague.

They called for quarantines. They wanted to separate the innocent victims from the rest of us.”

“We knew we were in a battle for our lives, because silence equaled death, but we changed, and

we made things happen.” I appreciate how he goes on to share about the “Names Project,” to

show that people who had died from AIDS had names and faces and families that loved them.

Much like the “Names Project,” addicts also have names, faces, and people that love them.

Logos, or logic was a monumental piece in this speech. Botticelli utilizes statistics, and

evidence-based research to persuade the audience. “Our current opioid epidemic and the AIDS

epidemic tragically have much in common. Right now, we are during one of the greatest health

crises of our time. During 2014 alone, 28,000 people died of drug overdoses associated with

prescription drugs and heroin.” He goes on to talk about how nearly every American family is

affected by addiction; yet, no one talks about it openly and honestly. “It’s whispered about.”

“Today in the United States, only one in nine people get care and treatment for their disorder.”

Botticelli goes on to present how our country felt that we could arrest our way out of the

problem, but we know we can’t. “Decades of scientific research has shown that this is a medical

issue – that it is a chronic medical condition that people inherit, and that people develop.” He
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discusses how people with other disorders get offered treatment, but people suffering from the

disease of addiction often must wait for treatment. The fact is for many, waiting means “death or

incarceration.”

By sharing openly and honestly about his own recovery journey and utilizing ethos,

pathos, and logos; Botticelli has brought light on the stigma. By working with the Obama

administration, they were able to develop and implement a plan to expand prevention services,

treatment services, early intervention and recovery support. He discusses the push of criminal

justice reform and knocking down barriers to give people “second chances.” He talks about

public officials working together within the community, to guide people to treatment. “The

Affordable Care Act is the biggest expansion of substance use disorder treatment in a

generation.” Though successful strides have been made to provide treatment services to those

looking to recover from their disease, we need to do more. “Together we can change public

policy. We can ensure that people get care when they need it, just like any other disease.” I

appreciate Michael Botticelli, utilizing his struggles with addiction to spread awareness. I believe

that together, we can continue to speak on successful recovery journeys and change the stigma

attached to substance use disorder, one day at a time.

Works Cited
Botticelli, Michael. “Addiction is a disease.” We should treat it like one.”
Speech.TEDxMidAtlantic, October
2016,https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_botticelli_addiction_is_a_disease_we_should
_treat_it_like_one?
utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare .
Accessed 15 June 2019.