We Need to #StopTheStigma of Addiction

The numbers continue to alarm us: Nearly 17 million people 18 or older had an “alcohol use disorder” In 2013 (NIAAA). That’s 7% of adults in the United States. 22 million American adults suffer from drug addiction and another 23 million are in recovery. When it’s all said and done, nearly 20% of all adults have personally dealt with a substance abuse problem. (SAMHSA)

Despite these alarming statistics, addiction experts say less than 10% of the people who need help get it. A major contributing factor to this dismal number is the stigma surrounding addiction. Society is quick to label addicts, creating a stigma that can seem impossibly difficult to break out of once in recovery.

Most medical and psychiatric communities now define addiction as a disease of the brain rather than a choice or character flaw. Still people view addicts and recovering addicts as less than themselves. This stigma — and its impact — was explored in a recent report (which appears in the journal Psychiatric Services) which suggests that society doesn’t seem to know whether to view substance abuse as a treatable medical condition akin to diabetes or heart disease, or as a personal failing to be overcome.

“While drug addiction and mental illness are both chronic, treatable health conditions, the American public is more likely to think of addiction as a moral failing than a medical condition,” says study leader Colleen L. Barry, PhD, MPP, an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “In recent years, it has become more socially acceptable to talk publicly about one’s struggles with mental illness. But with addiction, the feeling is that the addict is a bad or weak person, especially because much drug use is illegal.”

Barry and her colleagues surveyed a representative section of people across the nation about their attitudes toward either mental illness or drug addition. The questions centered on stigma, discrimination, treatment and public policy.

The results are troubling. Respondents had significantly more negative opinions about those with drug addiction than those with mental illness, and researchers found much higher levels of public opposition to policies that might help drug addicts in their recovery.

• Only 22% percent of respondents said they would be willing to work closely on a job with a person with drug addiction compared to 62%30% who said they would be willing to work with someone with mental illness.
• 64% said that employers should be able to deny employment to people with a drug addiction compared to 25% with a mental illness.
• 43% were opposed to giving individuals addicted to drugs equivalent health insurance benefits to the public at-large, while only 21% were opposed to giving the same benefits to those with mental illness.

Respondents agreed on one question: Roughly 30% believe that recovery from either mental illness or drug addiction is impossible. Astonishing!

“The more shame associated with drug addiction, the less likely we as a community will be in a position to change attitudes and get people the help they need,” says another study author, Beth McGinty, PhD, MS, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “If you can educate the public that these are treatable conditions, we will see higher levels of support for policy changes that benefit people with mental illness and drug addiction.”

Most people don’t realize what their judgment does to others. But, just think about the ramifications of this stigma. Many addicts might not seek treatment for their addiction because of fear of being judged or shunned. Some lose their jobs, not because of the addiction but because people do not understand or accept that the addiction is under control or that it is a disease. The depression and anxiety an addict feels is often escalated by the lack of acceptance from family, friends, employers, and the community.

Stigma is one of the meanest and most difficult aspects of addiction because it makes it harder for individuals and families to deal with their problems and get the help they need. “The shame and secrecy that shroud this disease are just as deadly as the disease itself,” says actress Kristen Johnston in the movie, The Anonymous People, which documents the history of the treatment—and lack thereof—of mental health and addiction disorders in the United States.

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Gus Stieber is Director of Clinical Outreach Services at Kiva Recovery is a substance abuse and treatment center located in Vernon Hills. www.KivaRecovery.com