During the pandemic, mental health challenges reached new heights, and this includes substance use disorders (SUDs). The isolation brought on by COVID-19 led many to increase their drug and alcohol abuse. Combine that with the prevalence of the hyper-potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, and you have the perfect storm for the overdose epidemic that we are now experiencing.
How Does Stigma Affect People with an SUD?
The social stigma around a substance use disorder makes it so those individuals with an SUD are less likely to seek treatment, due to the shame they feel. The negative stereotyping of those with an SUD can lead others to feel pity, fear, anger, and a desire for social distance from persons who are struggling with an addiction.
Addiction is Still Misunderstood as a Choice
We are making progress in this area, but addiction is stigmatized because people who have not experienced it can attribute it to an ongoing series of bad choices. But addiction is almost universally accepted as a disease in the medical field. It is not a moral failing, and no one chooses to self-medicate to the point of mental and physical dependence..
Speaking in a More Positive Way about SUDs
The mental health practitioners at our treatment center, Confidential Recovery, are often the first point of contact for someone making the courageous choice to accept help and attend rehab. We carefully choose our words when we discuss addiction.
For one thing, we do not treat “addicts,” but rather “people with a substance use disorder.” This clarifies that the person has a health problem, but the person themselves is not the problem.
If a patient is experiencing an addiction to opioids, we describe them as having an opioid use disorder (or OUD) rather than calling them a drug user, or anything even worse (lie “drug addict”). This helps the person perceive their disorder as a temporary situation, and one that can change.
We also work with families to help them understand how their language can make a difference in the recovery journey of their loved one. We encourage them to stay away from negative “trigger” words like “don’t drink” or “don’t do drugs,” but rather, frame their hopes for their loved ones in a more positive way “remaining sober”, or “successful abstinence.”
Relapse is Normal and Should not Be Stigmatized
Addiction, as a medical disease, will have an instance of relapse, like all medical diseases do.
Relapse rates for opioid addiction are similar to diabetes and hypertension, but sufferers of these other progressive medical conditions don’t consider the treatment (or the patient) a failure when a setback occurs.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines successful recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” SAMHSA does not mention complete abstinence from the drug of choice, but rather, a behavioral change that moves toward recovery.
For this reason, we retain our patients in our treatment program, even after a relapse, as evidence has shown that over time the success rate increases for patients who continue participating in evidence-based treatment.
Treatment success can be defined by the patient experiencing an improved quality of life, with better relations with friends and loved ones, and the ability to share kindness and compassion with others. At Confidential Recovery, we accept that everyone owns his or her definition of success, and we must allow patients to decide their own path of recovery.
Why There Is Still a Problem with Stereotyping People with an SUD
While some medical conditions, like depression and HIV, have seen a great reduction in stigma, the stigma associated with substance use disorders has not been reduced to a significant degree. In my opinion, this has to do with the misunderstanding of what having an SUD is like by those who have never experienced it. When someone is experiencing physical and mental dependence on a drug, like alcohol or opioids, their survival instinct hijacks their rational decision making to the point where it can feel like they are watching themselves seek out more of their drug of choice without any say in the matter.
For this reason, addiction sufferers are still held accountable for their illness.
Inadequate care, judgement, and rejection can cause those with an SUD to internalize this stigma, which causes them to feel ashamed and makes them feel reluctant to seek help.
Therefore, stigmatization can contribute to drug use and prevent a patient from getting the needed care. In turn, this type of response plays a major role in keeping patients tied to their substances.
That’s why it’s important to remain objective and unbiased. Be aware of the medical definition of an SUD and sympathize with the sufferer to realize better recovery results.
