One of the primary reasons for Stigma of Addiction is a belief, that the addiction arises as a result of character weakness, which makes some more akin to it. Hence a mere mention of ‘She is an addict’ or ‘He is a recovering addict’ can have people viewing you as weak and flawed, resulting in indiscrimination. Such hostile opinions often keep many people from seeking help and drive them further into addiction.
Overcoming Stigma of Addiction can help an addict say no to the drugs and adopt positive behaviour, that can prove to be a major stepping stone in a person’s journey towards Addiction recovery.
How the Stigma of addiction affects us?
- The discrimination and reluctance from people around often embarrass the addict thereby causing him to isolate and avoid treatment.
- Many employers perceive a recovering or a past addict as a problem maker, thereby denying any work opportunities. Lack of a stable job and stay can cause a recovering addict to relapse, making it impossible to recover or even deepen the drug abuse problem.
- Family and close friends who do not understand the reasons and treatment for drug addiction can distance themselves from an addict.
- The Stigma of Addiction instils a fear among high-functioning addicts, which prevents them to come forth and seek professional help.
Beating Addiction Stigma – How to Overcome the Stigma of Addiction?
The stigma of Addiction can cause hindrance in the already arduous recovery process. Here are some things to do to overcome the stigma
- Acceptance – Accepting that one has a drug problem is a crucial first step of the recovery process. It readies you mentally for the treatment.
- Join a Support Group – Joining a group assures that you are not alone. Through the group, you can connect with people facing similar challenges in their recovery journey. Knowing others in recovery having families, stable careers and friends can revive your confidence and motivate you to continue treatment and counselling.
- Educate – Educate yourself on precise counselling of addiction, withdrawal symptoms, coping mechanism and available treatments. Education empowers you with the knowledge to tackle triggers. Many rehabilitation centres conduct drug awareness programs, that are proven helpful in preventing relapse.
- Speak up – Share your challenges to create awareness among people. It helps people see the real issues faced by addicts during recovery
One needs to be confident and make people understand individual values by sharing their story. Ultimately better awareness and continued support can help overcome addiction stigma.
If you need more information about addiction stigma treatment or have any queries, do mail us at info@cadabams.org. Or visit us at Cadabam’s Anunitha. Alternatively, you call us on our 24/7 helpline number- +91 96111 94949.
