Like many of us, I am guilty of using words such as ‘junkie’, ‘meth-head’ and ‘crack-head’ when joking or speaking with harsh criticism over another person’s struggle with addiction. Today, I make a conscious choice daily to no longer use stigmatizing words to make people who struggle with substance use feel worse about themselves. I don’t want to be responsible for adding to the plight of anyone struggling with addiction. I want to be the person who helps people successfully get to their next level of sobriety.
Negative words like name calling create shame, dishonor, and self-loathing in people who may need encouragement to keep on keeping on. They are engrossed in moral bias. When overheard, negative words can make people struggling with drug addiction see themselves as worthless which can be a reason why some people avoid recovery. They want to avoid having other people find out they are addicted and may be viewed as bad, dirty, insignificant, and untrustworthy.
Stigma also diminishes self-esteem and diminishes opportunities. It makes one question their talents and contributions to society. It could be the reason a potential employer goes for the less valuable candidate. It could be the reason why some people receive less respect from healthcare workers and landlords. Stigma creates negative feelings. It’s 2021, we have stopped using so many words for so many different categories of people. So why are people who struggle with substance abuse still being exposed to such commentary? Once recreational use becomes an addiction (the body becomes physiologically dependent on the drug), then the element of choice not to put it in your body is removed. And at that point the person needs intervention and/or treatment.
In 2019, the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 90 percent of people with substance use disorders did not receive treatment. Stigma is a major reason people don’t reach out for treatment, so it is imperative to stop and think about how we make others feel. One way is to recognize those with substance use disorders as people and, just as important, empower them to seek and receive treatment, find recovery, and live with their renewed purpose.
It is disheartening this is even an issue requiring a discussion. Two major factors contributing to addiction are genetic predisposition and childhood trauma, and no one can control either one. It should not determine how the world views people, but it does. It is clear that drug or alcohol addiction does not equate to having a moral problem. Recovery means so many wonderful things. It’s a new beginning with new opportunities for a fresh start. It brings newfound strength and gives hope to people. A recovering addict person in recovery can find their purpose and when that happens, the sky is truly the limit.
You can help reduce stigma by examining your own language and invisible biases around people who struggle with substance use. For a great resource on changing the language we use around addiction, check out Recovery Research Institute’s Addictionary at https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/
By: Jenna Narkum