How Do We Stop the Social Stigma Towards Opiate Addiction

The negative ideas around addiction, misusing prescription drugs, and the individuals who are struggling with addiction are more common than they should be today. This stigma carries many dangerous consequences with it, making it difficult for individuals who need treatment to seek help. If a person is suffering from addiction and needs to enter drug treatment, they may hesitate to do so if they are afraid that they’ll be shamed by a healthcare provider, a friend, or a family member.

Stigma is a specific set of negative ideas that society as a whole applies to a specific set of people. These ideas are often meant to create feelings of shame, and may be caused by false assumptions. Complicated topics like addiction often carry an enormous amount of stigma along with them, and they aren’t simple and easy to break down and repair, as they involve decades of societal programming. Instead, habits must be relearned and language must be adjusted in order to undo years of stigma that have build up.

Those who seek to break down the large amount of stigma around addiction should attempt to teach the public about mental health and addiction using science, statistics, and modern factual information. Many individuals hold on to negative ideas about addiction and pass them on from generation to generation. They may have family and friends who are struggling with addiction themselves. Specific language may also help spread these ideas, and individuals can help fight stigma and discrimination simply by changing the way they speak about drug use.

Altering the way words are used when one is speaking about substance abuse is a huge step towards limiting stigma around the illness. Acting to use neutral language helps individuals who are in recovery to decide how they'd like to label themselves, instead of choosing a stigmatizing label for them.

Harmful Words and Their Alternatives 

Addict, Junkie, Alcoholic: Individual with a substance abuse issue, Person with a drug problem

Drug Abuse/Drug Misuse: Risky/Problematic/Dangerous Use

Being "Clean": Positive/Negative Test

Having a Drug Habit: Substance Use Disorder

Self Help Group: Recovery Support Group

The Effect of Stigma on Treatment 

The stigma surrounding addiction goes very deep, and can cause shame for many individuals who cope with a substance use disorder. Unfortunately, many individuals incorrectly attribute addiction to a lack of self control. People who lack education about addiction often talk as though it is a simple choice, instead of understanding the way that drugs alter an individual's neurochemistry. This means that people are far less likely to try to find the help that they need, as they are afraid of being labeled.

When a person is coping with a substance use disorder, they may find that they cope with ongoing stress and mental health symptoms, leading them to feel lonely and unsupported. They may feel as though they must cope with the addiction alone, without professional assistance.

Individuals who live with this stigma may find that they experience it from the general public, their own family, and healthcare workers. It's possible to assist the individuals who have these experiences to obtain the help that they need by working to educate those around us and to break the stigma about addiction.