Myth #1: Muslims don’t develop addictions

Reality: Addiction exists within Muslim communities. Both stigma and shame prevent Muslims from seeking quality treatment for their addictions. This leaves our brothers and sisters to suffer in silence and exile from their communities and families. Studies on addiction in Muslims worldwide is limited due to stigma and lack of participation. However, in the US, the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions shows that Muslims deal with addiction in their communities at similar rates as the general public. However, they have one important difference - they do not seek help for the problem.

Many Muslims who have an addiction (or their loved ones) may close their eyes, and have some image of what a person with addiction looks like and feel they don’t fit this image. However, our experience working with addicted people shows that there is no “typical” image of addiction. But there are “typical” misconceptions about gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, etc. A survey published in the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education asked people to close their eyes and envision a drug user, and revealed some of these misconceptions. For example, 95% imagined a black drug user, while only 5% imagined other races. However, during the year of this study, only 15% of drug users were black. Similarly, misconceptions exist as to what backgrounds can and cannot develop an addiction. The list of misconceptions is long, but to learn what puts anyone at risk for addiction, click here.

Myth #2: Muslims should not seek help and risk drawing attention to their addiction.

By seeking addiction treatment, the intention is not to publicize the problem. The goal is to privately reveal the problem to someone who has the ability to solve this complex medical-spiritual-psychological problem. Most people don’t know how to solve this problem on their own and will need a specialist. For some people, it can be helpful to create a pros/cons list of seeking help for addiction and compare that to the pros and cons of potentially drawing attention to you or your family’s problem. Solving the problem is more important than covering it up.

Modesty is an important part of our faith. Islamic scholars make a differentiation between modesty (حياء) and unacceptable or blameworthy modesty (حياء مذموم). If modesty prevents someone from doing what is right and just, it is unacceptable. To learn more about finding help for addiction click here.

Myth #3: Moving to another location will solve addiction

This may help for some, but not all. A change in location can be very helpful. The best solution for many is a change in environment plus addiction treatment. If you do change locations, make sure you don’t have access to your addictive substance in the new location. If the new location does have access, this will probably not work. If it doesn’t have your substance of choice, be careful of switching to another substance. We see many who will move, maybe even to another country, and switch to another drug and develop an addiction. This new drug acts like a placeholder until they eventually come back to their drug of choice.

Lee Robins did research on Vietnam Veterans who were addicted to heroin. He found that out of the addicted soldiers that returned home, about 9 out of 10 were able to stop (only 12% relapsed within three years). For most people, seeking addiction treatment helps them get a change in environment and also the treatment they need.

Myth #4: Getting married will solve the problem

We have seen this strategy many times, and we have never seen this work with someone who has an addiction. We have only seen this make things worse. It may seem like matters improve during the beginning of the marriage, but many end in divorce. Addiction often requires a process of training and treatment. Through recovery, the addict can learn healthy coping strategies that can set them up for a successful relationship later on in life. Click here to see if you have signs of an addiction.