Addiction Stigma
Jun 21, 2022Addiction stigma isolates and discourages people from coming forward for treatment, and leads some clinicians, knowingly or unknowingly, to resist delivering evidence-based treatment services.
The fifth edition (DSM-5) was published in 2013 and changed the terminology from substance abuse, addiction, or alcoholism to Substance Use Disorder (SUD), which encompasses both drugs and alcohol. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) focused solely on alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) focused on opioids.
Mental health professionals have long argued that labeling someone as a substance abuser is defining the entire person by their disease. However, when a person is said to have a substance use disorder, it is understood they have a medical problem that does not define their entire person. Just like a person with cancer or heart disease is far more than their diagnosis, a person with an alcohol or drug use problem has an entire identity apart from their illness, no matter what their label.
Fortunately, decades of research have given us a deeper understanding of what drives an individual’s compulsion to continue using drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences. This deeper understanding has also shone a light on the harm caused by negative labels.
As Michael P. Botticelli writes in ‘Changing the Language of Addiction,’ “This is not just about being politically correct. There’s scientific evidence to show that language matters. We know stigma plays a huge role in why some people with substance use disorders avoid or delay seeking treatment.”
The Mayo Clinic warns that “stigma can lead to discrimination.” According to their website, the harmful effects of stigma may include:
- Reluctance to seek help or treatment
- Lack of understanding by family, friends, co-workers, or others
- Fewer opportunities for work, school, or social activities or trouble finding housing
- Bullying, physical violence, or harassment
- Health insurance that doesn’t adequately cover your mental illness treatment
- The belief that you’ll never succeed at certain challenges or that you can’t improve your situation
It’s clear there’s a great need for raising awareness of the harm caused by negative labels and that stigmatizing those suffering from a substance use disorder, or any disorder, is unfair, traumatic, and may threaten their decision to seek help.
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