As Recovery Month ends, Dr. Suzette Glasner says her exclusive interview with Beverly Vance Aikins reveals why urgent action is needed to expand access to evidence-based treatment for addiction.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- After conducting an exclusive interview with Beverly Vance Aikins — the mother of Vice President JD Vance — UCLA addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner is warning that America's addiction crisis requires urgent action.
The interview, aired on The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast, was Aikins' first in-depth conversation since her White House sobriety celebration. She recounted her near-death battle with a 15-year opioid addiction, crediting medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) along with family reconciliation and forgiveness for her survival.
For Glasner, the interview underscored a troubling reality. "Beverly's survival, coupled with the meaningful and fulfilling life she built in recovery, demonstrate what's possible when treatment and family healing come together — but it also reminded me how rare that is. Only 17% of Americans with opioid addiction receive evidence-based medication treatment, and family therapy remains underutilized and underfunded," she said.
Aikins described how her addiction began with Vicodin use for a headache, spiraled into heroin addiction, and left her estranged from her children, without a job. She found herself trapped in a vicious cycle of opioid use and withdrawal that left her wishing her life would end. While medication was critical to her recovery, forgiveness — from both her children and herself — gave her the resolve to remain sober over the long-term.
Now an addiction specialized nurse, she is committed to helping others follow the same path. "I'm not ashamed of being a drug addict. I am a drug addict. And hopefully someone will see it or read it and think…'wow, if she can do it…maybe I can do it."
Glasner said the conversation left her convinced that now, at the close of Recovery Month, is the moment to act. "Beverly's story is powerful, but it shouldn't be exceptional. Evidence-based treatment for opioid — and other substance addictions — is effective and saves lives, yet 87% of those with substance use disorders remain untreated. We cannot end Recovery Month celebrating rare survivals — we must build a system where stories like Beverly's are the rule, not the exception."
Dr. Glasner is calling for:
- Nationwide expansion of medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD)
- Permanent telemedicine prescribing of MOUD
- Expanded reimbursement of family therapy in addiction care
- Aggressive action to reduce stigma that keeps people from treatment
"The Aikins interview put a human face and lived experience behind the data," Glasner said. "It reminded me that behind every statistic are individuals and families who may never get the chance Beverly had. We need urgent action before more lives are lost."
Media Contact
Dr. Suzette Glasner, The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast, 1 3102706583, [email protected], https://drglasner..com
Jennifer Neeley, JND Global Media, 1 4159712010, [email protected], https://jndglobal.com
SOURCE The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast
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