Stigma stops people from getting the help they need. Stigma is the biggest barrier to patients in need of treatment, and stigmatizing terms were championed during the war on drugs. Now, we know more about the science of addiction, and the language we use to describe addiction should now be changed to reflect our greater understanding of it.
The Language First Team, a group of recovery advocates and other professionals passionate about the issue of stigma, created a variety of resources dedicated to choosing our words more carefully when talking about addiction. By changing the language we use to describe addiction, we can de-stigmatize addiction. In turn, patients will regain self-esteem, lawmakers may appropriate more funding for prevention and treatment, doctors may treat patients without the disapproval of their peers, insurers will cover treatment, and people will come to understand addiction as the medical condition that it is.
- Words Matter for People with Addictive Disorders – This four-page document gives useful words to say and words that shouldn’t be said when talking about addiction. It also presents the issue of person-first language and substance use disorder for people who are unfamiliar with those concepts.
- Rack Card: Words Matter to Reduce Stigma – This rack card emphasizes the words to use and not use and provides a quick, bulleted overview of addictive disorders and person-first language to emphasize and reinforce the above document’s main points.
- White Paper: Using Person-First Language across the Continuum of Care for Substance Use & Other Addictive Disorders – This white paper explores the issue of substance use disorders and why the language we use to talk about addiction and drug misuse matter. It delves deep into how stigma, reinforced by language, creates challenges for patients.
