Have you ever had a negative attitude towards someone or a particular subject? This is highly likely especially on topics considered taboo, which one of them happens to be addiction.
Stigmas manifest in various ways ranging from; self stigma, social stigma and systematic stigma- all of which inhibit treatment plans and interventions. Stigma reduction therefore, is crucial in addiction management- with practical steps of reducing the former like;
📌 Awareness Campaigns- These encourage use of storytelling and public forums to convey the gospel of addiction recovery, proving to be effective in humanising this condition.
📌 Addiction Advocacy- Organisation and mental health personnel advocate for harm reduction strategies, which have promoted treatment plans and recovery for affected individuals.
📌 Formulate Supportive Policies- Lawmakers to implement principles of action that promote individuals from any form of discrimination.
📌 Respectful Language- Language matters and use of person-first terminologies is helpful in breaking negative stereotypes and biases concerning addiction.
A plethora of stakeholders in addiction prevention have conducted several campaigns in reducing stigma against drug addiction.
Fortunately, their efforts have borne some fruits in recent years including- community empowerment, increased individual openness, healthy client-counsellor relationships and increased adherence to treatment plans. Does this mean the stigma and collective biases surrounding drug dependency do not affect us? No.
Fundamentally, trying to erase stigma on addiction is nigh impossible. Unless, it starts with YOU!
Be mindful of the language you use, advocate for better treatment and policies, be more empathetic or educate others on it(like yours truly) .
We can all create a safe space for everyone and cultivate a culture of openness and trust.