Topic: stigma

It can be intimidating to look over the inventory, and think about sharing these shame-laden items with another real live person.

By examining the models through which people view and deal with addiction, we can better understand how our society reacts to its continuing presence.

Recovery-friendly communities encourage education, provide support for open communications, and reject assumptions that perpetuate stigma.

Intervention can be quite dramatic (that’s why it makes for good TV), but it’s really the intelligent application of leverage that produces the desired result.

Scott McMillin, Recovery Systems Institute Principal, discusses the barriers that keep an addict or alcoholic from seeking help. Learning new ways to communicate can allow a caring family member, friend, or professional to motivate them to get the help they need.

It may help in understanding how the problems that plague some of us throughout life may have come about. And hopefully, in doing so, remove a bit the shame and stigma that often accompanies such problems.

Calling these diseases “behavioral illnesses” and calling our systems of care “behavioral health programs” promotes two destructive, harmful beliefs.

The first step in knowing how to deal with husband, wife, or other person we love who has alcoholism is understanding the facts about alcohol abuse and the reasons alcoholic people resist help.

The family is operating under the misconception that folks in their town don’t know, when they already do.

We can’t control the alcoholic/ addict, but we’re not powerless. Some things we can do (and stop doing) to help them listen to something besides the addiction…