When people think of addiction, they often think of someone who has lost their way in life. They might picture someone who does not have their life together physically and mentally. There are a lot of biased images that come to our heads when we think of addiction, but that’s exactly what it is…bias. There is no universal image of what addiction looks like, and this sort of stigmatization of addiction is not helping people recover, instead it is holding them back.
Society as a whole should address the stigmatization of addiction and turn it into something more proactive. One of the biggest ways addiction is stigmatized is when people assume that someone is addicted because they cannot control themselves. They see it as a choice someone brought upon themselves, and that is not always the case. Addiction is a disease and it deserves to be treated like one.
This sort of thinking is everywhere. People can oftentimes make assumptions, if they are not familiar with addiction and how it truly affects people. They might not even realize someone they love and are close to is dealing with addiction in one form or another. Studies show that nearly 47 million Americans 12 and older struggled with substance abuse within the last year. This is more than 16% of people across the country that are struggling. These numbers show that addiction is more common than we think it is, even if we don’t see it from our own perspective.
It’s also important to remember that addiction is real, and there are no set guidelines for each person’s experience. Author Jim Hight talks about his experience with addiction, and how people didn’t take him seriously at first.
“When I first sought help for my marijuana addiction, I met hard drug addicts who scoffed at my plight. ‘You can’t quit that on your own?!’ said an incredulous crack addict I met at an outpatient clinic. No, I could not, I told her, feeling embarrassed.”
Not only is there the stigmatization of addiction alone, there is the judgment that comes with the substance or thing someone is addicted to. Addiction is a very personal experience and there is no way to truly understand what someone is going through. Having bias towards someone and their journey to recovery does not really help them improve, it is another setback and obstacle they have to overcome.
“When I started going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings in Boston in the early 1990s, it was rare to meet others whose main addiction was to marijuana. But I met a few, and we were welcomed in that fellowship, which states that the only requirement for membership is “a desire to stop using”—without reference to what substance an addict uses,” says Hight.
Breaking the stigma of addiction and switching to a system of support is the way to help people get through their recovery. People don’t know what they don’t know, and something like addiction is a fragile thing to make assumptions about. Breaking people down and placing judgment on someone because of their addiction is only creating more problems. Addiction is real and being proactive about helping people feel themselves again is necessary to breaking the barriers that society places on people. Whether it’s supporting a loved one, or giving someone suffering from an addiction the space to get their own help, it’s important to meet people where they are at. Jim Hight also draws upon these themes in his upcoming book “Moon Over Humboldt.”
“For the addiction and recovery aspects of Moon Over Humboldt, I drew on my own experiences as a recovering addict and a member of a family affected by alcoholism… Like my characters, I needed the 12-step programs to recover—and like them, I had to search out my own non-religious version of a higher power to make the spiritual prescription of the 12 steps work for me,” Hight says.
Addressing the stigmatization of addiction and turning towards something more positive is the best way to help people recover. Giving them the space to heal and work through their own struggles could help them get there faster. Peoples’ internal biases regarding addiction only break people who are suffering down. Being a support system and meeting people with care and compassion goes a long way.
