The stigma of addiction has evolved over the last two centuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a stigma is an attribute or trait that sets someone apart from the rest of a group, and it brings with it feelings of shame and isolation. As a result a person may experience prejudice, avoidance, rejection or discrimination. It can be a barrier to employment, insurance, medical care, housing or financing.
In the field of addiction, stigma can have multiple layers. For example an alcoholic may result in less reaction than a drug addict especially in specific subcultures within the U.S. Among more affluent people such as celebrities, an addict may be seen as a victim of circumstances. However, a homeless person with the same addiction would likely be labeled a junkie, crack head or loser. In a 2011 article the Huffington Post pointed out that the stigma surrounding addiction also results in a misunderstanding of the disease altogether. People often blame addicts for choosing to ruin their families and their relationships, and if they’d make better choices, everything would be better. This stems from a long-held but inaccurate view of addiction.
Historical Markers of Stigma
A 2009 report from the Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services indicated that the social stigma attached to drug use has a long history in the U.S. and that history cannot be separated from related issues such as race, religion, history and social class. When talking about the stigma of addiction, it is important to remember that these ancillary issues must also be addressed.
According to the Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center (in conjunction with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), the history of the stigma of addiction can be traced back to the early 1800s when the early temperance movements saw alcoholics as contemptuous. Other significant markers in the history of addiction stigma include the following:
- Opiate addicts in the 1800s were characterized in the press almost always as people of color, including African Americans and Chinese immigrants.
- In the early 1900s alcoholics were described as moral inferiors. Their children were labeled as born criminals with no ability to determine right from wrong.
- In 1914 the Harrison Anti-Narcotic Act was passed and aggressively enforced. This not only criminalized addicts but also many existing treatment methods. This resulted in a huge loss of services for addicts as well as the indictment of more than 25,000 doctors.
- In the early 1920s narcotics clinics that had been created to help addicts were closed. Addiction was not seen as a disease but rather a degrading and debasing habit of indulgence.
- In the early part of the twentieth century, some groups advocated the sterilization of alcoholics (and others) in order to create a more desirable gene pool in the future. Some state laws even mandated this sterilization.
- The decades of the 1930-1950 included such misguided efforts such as shock therapy and lobotomies to treat people with addiction. The 1960s were not much better. In many centers established to treat addiction, applicants were treated very poorly and were even required to admit that they were stupid.
- In the 1980s drug control policy began to shift focus from treatment to criminalization with its zero-tolerance policies and other legislation. At the same time popular culture disregarded alcoholism as a medical condition.
- The criminalization of addiction accelerated dramatically during the 1990s with the responsibility of treatment shifting onto the criminal justice system, which was not able to adequately address it.
Even today in spite of the evidence that addiction is a chronic disease, the stigma surrounding addiction continues as people perpetuate the myth of addiction as a poor moral choice. In addition the media continues to sensationalize addiction in the movies and on TV and in its reporting of celebrities as addicts.
Helping Alleviate Stigma Surrounding Addiction
Stigma can be lessened when the long-held misguided beliefs are replaced with facts. The best source of information surrounding addiction can often be a recovering addict. As people are more open and honest about their addictions, the stereotypes and stigma begin to fade. According to the NAADA, options for influencing addiction stigmas include the following:
- Getting help – Remaining in an active addiction only feeds the negative stereotypes about the disease. Being honest and open throughout the recovery process can help people understand the true nature of addiction rather than the mythologized version.
- Sharing your story – When you share your story, you connect with people on a deeper level. This connection lessens the stigma because others recognize their own weaknesses and problems. Hiding in secret only perpetuates the stigmas and stereotypes.
- Normalizing your disease – Asking information, such as whether a dish is prepared with wine, is no different than asking whether a dish is prepared with nut products. By opening asking questions and making requests, you help others understand that addiction is a disease just like high blood pressure.
- Speaking out – You can speak against public policies that are discriminatory, that create stigmas and that are based in misinformation. Because of your disease, you hold a stake in the policy just like a diabetic with a stake in a nutrition policy.
Getting Help for Your Addiction
If you are struggling with an addiction, we can help. You can call our toll-free helpline any time, 24 hours a day. You can talk with one of our admission coordinators who understands the nature of addiction and the stigma it can carry. Together you can determine the best options for your situation. Don’t let prejudice or stigma keep you from the life you want. Call us today, and start on the road of recovery.
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