USA. Stop the Stigma. Tackling the Stigma of Addiction through Education - a disease not a moral failing.
USA. Stop the Stigma. Tackling the Stigma of Addiction through Education - a disease not a moral failing.
Stigma refers to when individuals are discriminated against, devalued, rejected or excluded as a result of belonging to a particular group. Addiction-related stigma prevents people who are struggling from reaching out for help and isolates families affected by addiction who fear being judged by their communities. In 2018, 16 percent of individuals with a SUD did not seek treatment because they worried that it would have a negative impact on their employment; and approximately 15 percent felt it would impact their community’s view of them.
Fear and misunderstanding often lead to prejudice against people with substance use disorders, even among healthcare providers. It's also one of the main reasons people don't consider addiction a real health issue. These prejudices and biases leads to feelings of shame in those struggling and creates serious barriers to diagnosis and treatment.