The biggest challenge to overcome Alcoholism and addiction

Substance abuse stigmatization is the biggest fear that prevents an addict from seeking help. This stigma also prevents an individual from getting the support they actually need and deserve. This is the leading causes people avoid getting treatment for substance addiction or joining drug/alcohol rehab or any other substance abuse rehabilitation centre. Stigma directly fuels the crisis of substance abuse addiction in three main ways:

1.     Generates an isolated environment for an individual:

Stigma produces shame, and this feeling makes addiction an isolated and lonely experience. The addicted people become socially-disapproved even by their family and friends. A drug user is considered as reckless, bad, and irresponsible person in general public perceptions. This entire situation makes an addict apart from the society and unattended, so they try to hide their addiction and less likely to come forward to seek help.

2.     Discouragement against treatment and seeking help:

The internalization of negative stigma in a substance abused addicted person grows deeper their chances of recovery gets damaged. Evidence-based treatment option is also considered as ”not a real recovery” is stigmatizing way, but the replacement of one drug with other.

3.     Stigma also impacts the health professionals:

The negative perception by the whole society also prevails among health professionals and the negative attitude of health professionals directly contributes to unfair and worse care. Generally, the addict is considered personally responsible for their condition, and this thinking creates hurdles in providing real medical treatment.

Some common stigmas of Alcoholism and drug addiction:

There are many stereotypes, misassumptions and inaccurate perceptions prevailed in the society about the people with substance abuse addictions:

·        Addiction a disease or a choice:

“Addiction is the choice of a person.”

This is the most flawed reasoning about addiction. Addiction is not a choice of a person, it’s a disease that impacts the pleasure centre of the brain and affects brain chemistry.

·        Words can heal and harm too:

Derogatory or harsh words not only discourage an addict who wishes to leave it, but throw that person into the depth of disappointment. Even some seemingly innocence statements can also demoralize people to move forward on the path of recovery.

·        Assumptions about the lifestyle and flaws of people:

An alcoholic or substance addict is a person just like anyone else. Those people also have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is essential to realize. They don’t have a particular class or community. They can come from all classes of a society from a poor, uneducated lower middle class to the wealthy and highly educated part of society.

Combat with the stigmatization:

”The Recovery Trust” is a residential rehab clinics, detox and treatment centre-who is coping against this stigmatization. They are providing the best patient care, effective therapeutic rehab program, and help with best value for money.

• This recovery trust and alcohol rehab helps compassion instead of judgment and encourages kindness for destigmatizing substance abuse. In fighting stigma, many things can be done:
• Understanding the scientific facts about addiction.
• Differentiate between destigmatizing and enabling.
• Simply throw away the old school of thought about preventing addiction.
• Support your loved one to cope with this health condition.