Reframing the Way We Talk About Addiction

Language is more important than we give it credit- the way we frame a conversation and paint a mental picture is immenselyinfluential on how that information is received.

The words we use regarding drug use and addictioncan affect a person’s recovery, and medical professionals agree that improving thelanguage around substance use and substance-related harm is a growing priorityin the medical community and beyond.

What kind of words are recommended?

Choosing language that is empowering, respectful,and accurate is demonstrating a level of maturity that benefits all parties andlifts others up, rather than tears down.

Using language that is clinically accurate withspecificity tailored to each individual’s needs and behaviors is encouraged,otherwise known as “person-first” language. Avoiding words with “negativeexplicit bias” is recommended.

While refusing to use dismissive language mayseem natural, it’s also important to understand that shifting language takestime and is a dynamic process that occurs on various cultural and societallayers. Our conversations around substance use and related harm will continueto evolve as our stigmas of those with substance use disorders.

The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook edited theirguidelines in 2017 when recommending the word “addict” no longer be used as anoun. It laid out recommendations that separated the individual from thedisease and described the affliction without prescribing that identity to theperson.

The AP Stylebook makes the following recommendations for writing aboutsubstance use, addiction, and recovery:

• Avoid words like “alcoholic,”“addict,” “user,” and “abuser” unless they are in quotations or are the namesof organizations
• Choose phrasing “she was addicted”or “he used drugs” or “people with opioid addiction”
• Refer to someone who habituallyand compulsively uses drugs or drinks alcohol as a “person with addiction”
• Refer to the disease affecting aperson’s brain and behavior as “addiction” or a “substance-use disorder”

In addition, the White House published Changing the Language of Addiction, adocument addressing terminology related to substance use and substance usedisorders. In it, it states that “substance use disorder (the most severe formof which is referred to as ‘addiction’) is a chronic brain disorder from whichpeople can and do recover. Nonetheless, sometimes the terminology used in thediscussion of substance use can suggest that problematic use of substances andsubstance use disorders are the result of a personal failing; that peoplechoose the disorder, or they lack the willpower or character to control theirsubstance use.”

It recommends using expressions like “person witha mental condition” or “person with a disability” while replacing more outdatedterms like “abuse” and “dependence” with one classification as “substance usedisorder.” Using words like “drug habit,” for example, may inaccurately implythat the individual using the substances is actively choosing to use thesubstance or is able to choose to stop.

For those in recovery, the White House recommendsclinically accurate terminology that steers clear of colloquial terms like“clean” and “dirty.” Rather, for “clean,” one can use the terms “negative” (fora toxicology screen) or “not currently using substances,” and instead of“dirty,” one can use the term “positive” (for a toxicology screen) or “personwho is currently using substances.” A “person in recovery” is an individual whois “stopping or at least reducing substance use to a safer level, and reflectsa process of change.”

If you pay attention to the health section ofyour local newspaper, you’ll probably notice that many journalists have notcaught up to these stylistic changes. This only underlines the importance oflanguage choice and how it frames the humanity of our conversation. Itinfluences the decisions about what should and can be done to fix the problem.

The way we talk about things has a directconnection to how we act and what we do. We have the power to tell a truthfulstory of drug use and its very real implications on our daily lives.

Words do matter, and they do have the power tochange minds and perceptions. They allow us to see the most complete picturepossible and reflect a rational, science-based approach to the understanding ofhow addiction develops and what we can do to help people cope.

Changes by the AP and the White House truly couldmake it more likely that people come forward with their stories, sharing theirtruth while reclaiming their humanity without the fear that others will tear itdown from them. Reframing the way we talk about substance use disorder can leadto those suffering to access the care they need and not feel ashamed forseeking it.

Addiction isn’t a crime or a sin. It is importantthat address those individuals coping with pain as humans. We be mindful in our wordchoice in order to not perpetuate harmful stigmas and stereotypes and ensuringthat we allow individuals to become the best version of themselves.

Always remember to put the person first, not thedisease or affliction.

At Ethos Structured Sober Living, we are ourbrother’s keeper, providing a supportive environment in empowering those in ourcommunity to maintain a sober and healthy lifestyle.

Please reach out at (323) 942-9996.