1 IN 7 | Documentary Film

An intimate exploration of the experience of addiction.

The United States has a long history of misunderstanding addiction.

Far from an elective condition, addiction is a complex disease of the brain and body that involves the compulsive use of one or more substances or an engagement in behavioral activities despite serious health and social consequences. It disrupts regions of the brain that are responsible for reward, motivation, learning, judgment and memory, and can damage various body systems as well. Addiction is a severe and chronic disorder; a progressive, relapsing disease that requires intensive treatments and continuing aftercare, monitoring and support to manage recovery.

The form of addiction most overtly synonymous with the term is substance addiction, of which 40 million Americans - or 1 in 7 - suffer from. For these individuals, self-medicating with alcohol, opiates, or other substances or behavioral patterns inevitably evolves into dependencies on these chemicals or actions. Furthermore, substance use and addiction can exacerbate underlying mental health issues, creating a vicious cycle. 

The behavioral health field has struggled for decades to debunk the myths and misconceptions about the nature of drug and alcohol addiction; labels and terms such as "addict" and "alcoholic" further stigmatize the disease and individuals who have the condition. This language and these views shape society's responses to substance use disorder, treating the condition as a moral failing rather than a complex behavioral health issue, which leads to an emphasis on punishment rather than disease prevention and treatment.

Regardless of its manifestation, the United States is facing an unprecedented public health crisis regarding mental health and addiction; issues around mental health and addiction have never been more prominent.

In an effort to better understand addiction as a biological and emotional affliction and to explore the multitude of ways it can manifest for millions of individuals across the United States, 1 IN 7 weaves together the lives, stories and circumstances of a range of Americans living with or affected by addiction. These subjects and their stories represent tangible narrative references; their stories and experiences humanize and highlight manifestations across the addiction spectrum, including behavioral, cognitive and physiological constructs of addiction and the nature of addictive processes.

The subjects and their stories also act as narrative springboards, introducing a range of home and community settings across the United States. This naturally expands our exploration beyond the individuals themselves to look at how aspects of culture and community affect mental illness, substance use and addictive behaviors, ultimately affecting an individual’s mental health and psychological framework and their attraction to various forms of escape. 

Made up of rich, deep and occasionally dark stories spanning individual and communal experiences of addiction, 1 IN 7 possesses a verve and consideration for the characters and subject matter that is not only intimate, empathetic, inquisitive and emotionally engaging, but captivating and enlightening as well.