Jim Collins, a New Life group counselor, says the most widespread manifestation of the stigma is the public perception of addiction, whether it involves drugs or alcohol. “Some quote- unquote ‘normal’ people have the misconception that an alcoholic is a skid row, trenchcoat-wearing ‘drunk’, and that an ‘addict’ is someone who sticks a needle in his arm. Neither could be necessarily further from the truth – occasionally, they are true, but not always.” Another misconception both in the larger community and in the rooms of recovery is that any one person can judge another person’s quality of recovery, Collins says. But the process by which people enter recovery varies. Some people
come in through self-help groups like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous; others come to it through rehab, which introduces them to self-help to maintain the abstinence they seek. Some AA members don’t welcome recovering drug addicts into their groups: “If you’re an addict you’re not welcome here”; the same applies for some NA members in regard to alcoholics, Collins notes.This outdated attitude has become less common in recent years, although “there are some old- timers who still carry a hard-line.” Similarly, some NA members have problems with recovering addicts using maintenance drugs like methadone or suboxone. “They say, ‘You’re not clean until you come off whatever the medication is,’” Collins says. “But, as a person in recovery, it’s not for me to judge the quality of someone else’s recovery.”
Overcoming Stigma “People are very afraid of being labeled,” Collins says. “One of the things we try to teach is that there is no shame in being in recovery. Lives improve exponentially in recovery.” He notes that the 2015 theme for National Recovery Week was “Visible, Vocal, Valuable.” “No one should remain silent about being in recovery.” New Life counselor Deb Murphy notes that effects of the stigma can be very severe for people trying to recover. “People may not only be dealing with the symptomatology of their addiction, but they also feel symptoms of hopelessness, shame, and discrimination.Then they may isolate themselves and become more depressed. Sometimes the stigma makes them reluctant to seek help. “My job as a counselor is to first of all help clients accept the fact that they have a disease; it’s not their fault. I try to encourage them not only to use the support of the group, but to seek outside support – not just NA or AA, but in groups like Celebrate Recovery and Smart Recovery. In some cases some clients need more individual therapy and we will refer them for that.” Healing the stigma of addiction is a process, Murphy stresses. “It’s certainly not going to happen overnight for any of us.There’s no magic bullet; it’s just a process of accepting, connecting and finally realizing ‘I’m OK.’”
“It’s not for me to judge the quality of someone else’s recovery.” -Jim Collins group counselor New LIfe ACS
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