“My son, like a lot of people at home, had a drug problem. He’s overtaken it. He’s fixed it. He’s worked on it and I’m proud of him. I’m proud of my son.”
— PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN DURING THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
People struggling with addiction and addiction recovery don’t always experience it alone. Family members who love and support them share the pain they feel, and attempt to accompany them on their journey to recovery. But not everyone is so supportive. Too many people in recovery encounter some form of public stigma on their road to addiction recovery. And beyond being hurtful and not helpful, hostile or uninformed commentary on the struggles of addiction recovery keep people from seeking help. Understanding the best ways to beat the stigma of addiction starts with learning why there is a negative perception of the condition in the first place, as well as what individuals battling addiction really need in order to succeed.
The price of misperception.
Writing for Salon magazine, Richard Juman, M.D., outlines the various ways in which substance abuse has gained a poor reputation among the general public. He asserts that years of negligence from the medical establishment has negatively affected public perception of addiction. By not categorizing obsessive patterns of substance abuse as a physical illness, the healthcare industry places blame for addiction on the individuals affected by it. The public, he says, then vilifies those with substance abuse issues as moral failures for which they’re personally responsible. These are Dr. Juman’s principal points on the impact of stigmatizing addiction and recovery:
- People fail to seek treatment.
- The medical profession fails to treat addicts properly.
- The mental health profession ostracizes people with addictive disorders.
- Funding for addiction treatment is discriminatory.
- Addicts get sent to jail.
- Stigmatization can continue even in treatment.
- People in recovery are always under suspicion.
- They constantly confront stigma-based roadblocks.
Many other clinical professionals and laypeople share a similar opinion: We put people down because they have an illness. We don’t do that with other illnesses, but somehow, society thinks it’s ok to do that with addiction. A better approach, they believe, is that the more support we give anyone going through addiction, the better they can manage and eventually prevail over their challenge.
Negative attitudes have real consequences
Research has shown that addiction is more highly stigmatized than other health conditions. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, for instance, has reported that drug addiction is seen much more negatively than mental illness. Their survey findings include:
— 0% of people surveyed are willing to have a person with drug addiction marry into their family, compared to 59% for a person with mental illness.
— 62% will work with someone who has a mental illness, whereas only 22% will work with someone who has a drug addiction.
— 64% feel that employers should be able to deny employment to people with a drug addiction, compared to 25% for people with mental illness.
— 43% are opposed to giving drug addicts equivalent health insurance benefits to those afforded the public at large, while only 21% are opposed to giving the same benefits to people with mental illness.
— 54% believe landlords should be allowed to deny housing to a person with drug addiction, compared to only 15% for persons with mental illness.
— 3 in 10 believe that recovery from drug addiction is impossible.
How to reduce the stigma of addiction
As a society, the more we associate shame with drug addiction, the less likely we’ll be to change attitudes and get people the help they need. We must address biases and inaccuracies concerning addiction, and help the public better understand that addiction is treatable. Targeted public service and educational media campaigns could be a start. The message is that people with substance use disorders are human beings suffering from a health issue. There is also a need for policy changes that better support those with addictions, including increased access to professional treatment programs.
Kassandra Frederique is executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit working for a new approach to helping those with abuse disorders … one grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.
“Love,” she says, “does not always equal control. Love is about providing support — the support people need to make choices for themselves. Coercing people into treatment isn’t effective and it’s also not loving. Good choices don’t come from shame, stigma and criminalization. When people struggle with addiction, we shrink their whole lives to that problem. But in truth, they’re always whole human beings, despite their struggle with addiction. Their addiction should not define their humanity.”
Caroline Leon is recovering from her own addiction, and now writes for blogs and online communities that share stories of personal change. Here she is writing for site Possibility Change:
“Overcoming addictions is hard. It requires that you dig deep on your courage and face fear and shame with love. Love for yourself and love for your incredible journey. If I could go back in time and change everything, would I? Absolutely not. Going through my journey with a substance use disorder was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
What’s to be gained from pride in recovery?
Progress is only possible when one’s reserves of strength and courage can be tapped to follow the plan and drive forward. It’s never easy, but always worth the effort. This is what every person recovering from a substance use disorder stands to gain:
Authentic living versus merely existing. By choosing recovery and taking pride in one’s progress, people can regain control, break free, and see the world from a new perspective.
Reconnecting with oneself. Recovery is the path to regaining energy and self-esteem by deepening connections with oneself and with others.
Sharing joy with loved ones. Seeing a smile from those who’ve been so supportive can be as powerful as reaching one’s own goals.
Creating the future we deserve. No one deserves to feel trapped and isolated, day after day. Restarting life and looking forward to a bright, attainable future are reason enough to act with intention and pride.
The Raleigh House has helped so many.
Anyone taking steps to move his or her life forward deserves assistance, encouragement, and the chance to feel pride in their accomplishments. Read how Raleigh House alumni have earned that position for themselves. We invite you to include us on your journey to recovery. Just call XXX-XXX-XXXX or complete our contact request form. A Raleigh House team member will be in touch shortly.