Substance Use Researcher-Rehan "Rey" Aslam

Quick Overview

Substance use researcher Rehan "Rey" Aslam discusses how the societal stigma against drug addiction, exacerbated by the opioid epidemic, creates barriers to recovery by fostering shame and preventing people from seeking help or being seen as worthy of help, contrasting the often-punitive approach with the compassionate, lived experience-based research he conducts.

Key Points: Rey Aslam, a Substance Use Researcher at Brown University, focuses his research on opioid overdose prevention, drawing from both academic study and personal lived experience. He notes that societal perception often frames addiction as a moral failing, forcing people to hide their struggles and preventing them from seeking necessary support like treatment or recovery programs. Aslam highlights the tragic statistic that opioids are the number one cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, a crisis worsened by fentanyl contamination. He contrasts the academic research environment, which he finds somewhat tokenistic in its approach to lived experience, with the community-based knowledge gained from interacting with people on the streets. Aslam recounts an anecdote about his mother, who had a long history of substance use and abuse, whose struggle was not normalized, leading to feelings of isolation and worthlessness. He emphasizes that true support involves understanding and love, not punishment or judgment, which is often the default societal reaction to addiction. The book "Soft White Underbelly" by Mark Laita, which features portraits and stories of people affected by substance use, is mentioned as a resource that validates these complex experiences.

Context: The video features an interview with Rehan "Rey" Aslam, a Substance Use Researcher affiliated with Brown University, who specializes in opioid overdose prevention. Aslam speaks candidly about the societal stigma surrounding addiction, contrasting the often detached, academic approach to research with the real-world suffering he has witnessed and experienced personally through his mother's struggles with addiction.