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Coming Out of the Closet to Fight "Abuse"
Sen. Harold E. Hughes, Former Chairman, SOAR
The good news: the American people are finally starting to get it.
Sort of. Surveys show that a strong majority of Americans understand
that addiction is a disease, and believe that treatment is effective.
The bad news: They also think that if we’re sick, it’s our own fault.
It’s not that the public doesn’t care, it’s just that they’re
confused. And no wonder. When legislators, doctors, academics, new
columnists, and others who should know better talk about us as
"substance abusers," it’s easy to put us in the same category with
child abusers, sexual abusers, and spouse abusers. We deserve to
suffer. (Never mind that we were the ones abused by alcohol and other
drugs!)
For some, the slight stems from a simple lack of understanding. But
for others, the use of negative terminology is part of a strategy to
preserve our second-class status.
Some might suggest that the distinction between "addiction" and
"abuse" is academic, a meaningless matter of semantics—of "political
correctness." The truth is that our culture has a dark history of
using academic and legalistic jargon to define minority groups as
morally inferior and unworthy of either the rights or the duties of
citizenship. Change came only when those groups rejected such
terminology and demanded equal status.
We can learn much from those who have fought the battle with more
success. Thirty years ago individuals understood that negative
terminology breeds negative attitudes, in the public mind and among
health and behavioral professionals. Thus was born the concept of
community "mental health" centers. Focus on the solution, not the
problem. And today, political leaders at every level, regardless of
ideology, almost unanimously recognize the value of mental health
services. And some want to treat addiction disease as a mental health
problem.
In the meantime, is it any surprise that politicians are still
fighting "substance abuse" programs?
We in recovery have been part of the problem. We have both accepted
and perpetuated the stigma that kept us from getting help and that has
killed millions of addiction disease victims.
By hiding our recovery, we have sustained the most harmful myth about
addiction disease: that it is hopeless. And without the examples of
recovering people, it’s easy for the public to continue the morally
enlightening exceptions.
We are the lucky ones—the ones who got well. And it is our
responsibility to change the terms of the debate, for the sake of
those who still suffer.
We have many places to draw battle lines in our fight for truth and
against stigma.
Why not make the first line in the sand a claim for positive
terminology. Reject "substance abuse."
Let’s hear it for "addiction recovery." The vast majority of us have
never willfully abused alcohol and other drugs. Nor have we been
afflicted with mental illness. And the vast majority of use will
completely recover. The problem is that we have been taught to hide
our recovery to avoid stigma! So let’s come out of the closet!
Let's hear it for Recovery!
Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers. (800) 231-4303.
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