The stigma surrounding drug and alcohol addiction remains rife. Not only are substance users and addicts subject to prejudice but so are their families including partners, parents, and children. The stigmatisation of addiction has been around for many years. The distorted social attitudes towards drug and alcohol addiction have led to unhelpful labelling of individuals. Addiction has been dehumanised and individuals are seen only as ‘addicts’ or stereotypes of their behaviours. For many, the obstacles created by stigmas make it seem impossible to reform and live a functional life.
In the following guide, we explore the reasons for the stigmatisation of drug and alcohol addiction, the impact it has on their lives, and the steps needed to break the stigma of addiction.
What is the Stigma of Addiction?
The stigma of addiction is the social barriers, prejudices, and discrimination that are associated with mental health issues and substance use. It includes the stereotypes and negative attitudes toward those who are struggling with addiction.
To understand the stigma of addiction, we need to look at social attitudes and perceptions in mental healthcare. For more than 20 years, drug use and alcohol dependence have been associated with criminality, violence, homelessness, and even poor parenting. The way addiction is portrayed in the media has certainly not helped change the perception and the negative attitudes towards addictive behaviours.
In a study conducted by the UK Drug Policy Commission, it found that even former drug users were subject to discrimination in their everyday lives.
What is the Impact of the Stigma of Addiction?
When people battling addiction are stigmatised, they are not only treated differently based on their mental healthcare needs, they are also considered less trustworthy, dishonest, and manipulative. The negative impact that such perceptions have on the lives of those trying to overcome substance dependence or who are in the process of addiction, means that they remain stuck in a world of addiction even if they are sober and no longer actively using.
Being associated with alcohol or drug addiction can make it harder for individuals to find employment, to start a family, or to be treated fairly in a medical or clinical environment. Research into the treatment of individuals addicted to drugs have revealed negative attitudes among nurses towards those who use needles as part of their addiction. Even in a healthcare environment, individuals are treated differently based on their experience or past with addiction.
Phrases such as “junkie” that are repeatedly used across the media, among colleagues and even friends and family leave more people who are trying to overcome addiction feeling ashamed and more likely to isolate themselves than reach out for help.
But there is another misconception that is not often talked about or widely researched. That includes the stigma of families associated with drug and alcohol addiction.
For quite some time, government intervention and outreach policies geared towards addiction have excluded the role of the family. Regardless of their own stories and behaviours, families are labelled or primarily associated with addiction. The result is an unwillingness for the families of addicts to reach out for support or to talk to someone about their concerns for fear of the stigma, the gossip, and being treated differently.
Many live in a vicious cycle of addiction and silence because they’d rather not draw attention to their situation owing to negative perceptions.
Both those addicted to substances and their families are at risk of not receiving the help and the support that they need because stigma gets in the way of creating awareness, trust, and open dialogue about a problem that continues to affect the lives of millions of people in the UK and across the world.
A significant part of the problem is that drug and alcohol addiction are not perceived as diseases by society. Among many older populations, drug use and dependence in particular are considered a problem among troubled or misguided youth who come from broken homes. These attitudes also make many people and communities unsympathetic to the plight of the addict.
What is Being Done to Address the Negative Perceptions of Addiction
In recent years, efforts by journalists have focused on targeting the struggles of drug and alcohol users and the ways that recovery can be achieved. The problem is that drug and alcohol outreach and educational campaigns don’t focus on encouragement and the fact that individuals can move on to live a healthy, balanced, and functional life outside of a former addiction.
Only recently has the government invested efforts to research the stigma of addiction and the magnitude of the problem on affected populations. Unfortunately, these strategies have seen little focus on how to reduce the stigmatisation of mental illness and addiction.
The problem with ongoing stigmas is that it creates a psychological barrier for those struggling with alcohol or drug addiction to pursue recovery. The fear of being labelled or treated differently prevents many from talking about their problems including their mental health. The negative connotations associated with the term “junkie” leave many hesitant to join rehabilitation programs.
The cost of illicit drug use to society reached over £15 billion in the UK, which many believe is an indication of just how drug and alcohol programmes and legislature have failed the people who need effective intervention.
Overcoming the stigma of addiction is about getting the government, the media, communities, and even healthcare workers involved in understanding the stories of individuals and families in the grip of addiction. It is time to change the way addiction is depicted in popular media and to make the stigma of addiction part of educational and recovery campaigns.
The problem with the stigma of addiction is that the same stories are told and depicted with a sense of hopelessness. When cases of alcohol abuse or drug addiction are spoken about or portrayed on television, it should focus on educating the public to understand the nature of addiction and the process of recovery.
Until concerted efforts are made to tackle the stigma of addiction along with rehabilitation and recovery programmes, individuals will continue to experience the prejudices and limitations in mental healthcare and well-being.
Addiction in a Post-Pandemic World
In the UK, the NHS is dealing with a significant backlog of appointments that were put on hold to deal with coronavirus patients, while many addiction services remain open, it is clear from recent studies that addiction related issues could be on the rise following lockdowns.
Furthermore, those with severe alcohol or drug dependencies require specialist treatment and medical detox services to help them withdraw safely.
Paul Spanjar, owner of the Providence Projects addiction treatment facility, has noticed a significant rise in calls related to alcohol and drug use during the pandemic.
“Lockdowns, financial woes and anxiety about the future will continue to hurt individuals struggling with alcoholism or drug dependence. The UK saw a huge spike in addiction related diseases during the financial crisis in 2008, and there is no doubt we will see further problems in the weeks and months ahead”.
He added: “If NHS services are overwhelmed now, I can’t imagine what the situation will be like in the months ahead. Our treatment centre continues to work with the NHS during these difficult times and we hope more funding becomes available so that individuals can get specialist, emergency care via the NHS”.
The UK Government needs to do more to tackle mental health and addiction post-pandemic, and further lockdowns need to be assessed against the potential harm to individual well-being in the long term.