The statistics surrounding death from opioid addiction are just staggering. And it’s everywhere; because opioids are so available, every community and nearly every family has been affected.
So how do we beat this?
The first and most important step is to remove the stigma surrounding addiction.
Some of the most damaging components that contribute to stigmatizing addiction include:
| Instead of… | Use | Because... |
|---|---|---|
|
Abuse |
Misuse, harmful use, inappropriate use. |
• Blames the illness on
the individual • Negates the fact that SUD is a medical condition |
|
Habit, Drug Habit |
Substance misuse, or active addiction. |
“Habit” denies drug addiction is a medical condition and implies willpower
can stop the habitual
behavior |
|
Clean, Dirty (referring to drug test results) |
Negative, positive, substance
-free |
• Stigmatizing because it
associate illness symptoms with filth |
|
Addict,
Abuser,
Junkie,
Crackhead |
Person with
a substance
use disorder,
Person in active addiction,
Person
experiencing a drug
problem |
• First person language
• The change shows that a person has a problem, rather than they are the problem. • Terms are demeaning and label a person by their illness instead of their humanity • No distinction is made between the person and the disease. |
|
Former
addict |
Person in recovery or long-term
recovery |
• Person first language
• Shows the person has a problem rather than they are the problem. • Avoids eliciting negative associations, punitive attitudes, and individual blame |
|
Drug offender |
Person arrested for drug violation |
• Person first, neutral
and non-judgmental –
factual |
|
Stayed or been clean for a time |
Maintained recovery |
• Neutral, non-judgmental
language (see “clean”) |
|
Sober |
Well, healthy, in recovery |
• Neutral, non-judgmental
language |
