Untreated drug and alcohol use contributes to tens of thousands of deaths every year and impacts the lives of many more.
Many people with substance use disorder are met with stigma daily.
The stigma surrounding substance use disorder can lead to guilt and shame, causing people to hide their substance use and prevent them from getting the treatment they need. Just like heart disease impacts the heart, substance use disorder causes physiological changes in the brain. The causes of substance use disorder can vary by type of addiction. Understanding how and why substance use disorder occurs can help reduce the stigma surrounding it. Talking about substance use disorder helps humanize the disease and shows recovery is possible. It is important to show compassion. People who struggle with substance use disorder need help and support, not scorn and shame.
Education and hearing personal stories about substance use disorder are two ways to help reduce the stigma of individuals with substance use disorder.
Another important way of reducing stigma is being aware of biased language and using person-first language showing that substance use disorder is an illness. Instead of calling a person an addict, user, or junkie, refer to them as a person with substance use disorder. The same goes for speaking about a person who misuses alcohol, instead of calling someone an alcoholic or a drunk, instead refer to them as a person with alcohol use disorder. These terms avoid negative associations and individual blame. It is important to use language that focuses on the person, not their disorder.
Clarion Drug-Free Coalition will be having a presentation on the stigma of substance use disorder by Mike Krafick, Certified Recovery Specialist Supervisor at their meeting on January 28, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom and is open to the public. If interested in attending, please contact jdolby@aicdac.org or call 814-226-6350 ext 104.
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