Something isn’t right about Nick Newman’s (Joshua Morrow) opioid addiction storyline. Nick almost died in Las Vegas from a drug overdose, and yet none of Nick’s loving and supportive family members have even suggested checking him into rehab.
Nick’s Addiction Storyline Has Been Very Poorly Written and Unrealistic
Nick’s addiction storyline was so poorly written, and while we know that Joshua Morrow is a competent actor, his portrayal of someone who is addicted to painkillers has missed the mark.
Not to mention, his own mother, Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), is an alcoholic, and if anyone should have Nick check into a rehabilitation facility, it’s her.
Nikki battled her alcoholism for decades. She knows how difficult it is to kick the habit. She should be advising her son to try rehab to get himself clean. If not, he’s very vulnerable to a potential relapse.
Josh Griffith seems to love doing addiction stories. However, Nick’s spiral into the deep, dark abyss hasn’t exactly been realistic.
Someone who almost died from an overdose needs inpatient treatment. Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) only casually mentioned that Nick was in outpatient treatment.
Anyone who has ever known a serious addict or has been addicted themselves and gone through recovery knows this isn’t really how it works.
Now, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) is back in Genoa City. He has his drug-dealing connections, an opioid operation, and possibly some Fentanyl on him.
In Vegas, Matt was actively feeding Nick’s addiction with a constant supply of painkillers and Fentanyl. Nick was in no condition to even think about returning to the real world.
In fact, after his near-fatal overdose, he should have been transferred to a rehab facility after surviving the explosion at the gas station.
Recovery is a Long, Windy Road and Much Harder than Y&R Is Making it Out to Be
If Matt and Nick cross paths, which they undoubtedly will, Matt could easily get Nick hooked again. It’s too risky for him to be out and about. If Nick truly wants help, he should really go to rehab.
No one simply stops taking Fentanyl, and if they do, they are extremely lucky. It requires hard work and significant professional help. It’s a very arduous, complex process.
High-risk patients may also require methadone treatment to recover. You don’t just waltz around town declaring you’re suddenly free of Fentanyl addiction.
Plus, Nick’s behavior is still quite aggressive. He needs serious therapy. The storyline is like a slap in the face to anyone who’s ever experienced the extreme hardship of drug addiction.
Recovery is a long, winding road, and it’s often much harder than Y&R is making it seem like it is. Nick really needs help. None of his family members has even thought about his going to rehab.
Very few recovering addicts make it without intense inpatient treatment. Nick’s sole focus should be on his recovery, not Matt Clark, and definitely not on Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) taking over Newman Enterprises.
It takes a sense of responsibility to tell the truth whenever a soap tackles a social issue. Y&R hasn’t even so much as had a PSA on drug addiction during Nick’s storyline.
Nick needs to let Victor Newman (Eric Braden) handle Matt Clark. Let Nick get the help he obviously so desperately needs. Of course, Y&R has somehow managed to botch a very serious addiction storyline yet again.
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