Labeling Drug Users Certain Ways Can Inhibit Their Recovery

As kids, we oftentimes hear the idiom “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  Well, for those suffering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the choice of words can make a big difference and even hurt their chances of recovery.  A recent survey conducted among health care professionals reveals that labeling someone a “substance abuser” may prevent them from seeking the help they need. 

The Survey of Mental Health Professionals

During two 2008 conferences that focused on mental health and addiction, over 700 mental health professionals were surveyed in a study that focused on drugs and alcohol addiction.  It was conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital who wanted to determine the significance between using the terms “substance abuser” and “having a substance use disorder” when referring to a patient.  Did they discover there was a change of attitude when the terms were interchanged?

There were two separate surveys, with the questions being identical except for the aforementioned terms.  They both began with the following situation for the hypothetical patient “Mr. Williams”, who has difficulty following a court-ordered treatment program that forbids him from drinking or using drugs.  Half of the surveys refer to him as a “substance abuser” while the other half describes him as suffering from “a substance use disorder”.  The proceeding portion of both surveys was exactly the same.  It included 32 statements about the hypothetical patient and asked participants to report their level of agreement or disagreement with those statements.

The Survey Results

As expected, there were differences in the survey results from each of the 2 different surveys.  Among both surveys, it was discovered that one-third of the participants indicated that they had a professional focus on addiction.
For surveys that referred to “Mr. Williams” as a “substance abuser”, the respondents were more likely to indicate agreement on punishing the patient because he did not adhere to his required treatment plan.  They also indicated that they felt he was to blame for not following the court-ordered plan.
The results show that for health care professionals, the labeling of a person as an “abuser” evokes more punitive attitudes than using the more socially-neutral term “disorder”.  “Abuser” is a description that has been stigmatized and often is associated with shame, guilt, and embarrassment.  These are feelings that may prevent people from seeking the help that they need.  From the perspective of those with a dependency or addiction, their feelings of self-loathing and self-blame could be perpetuated.

Using the term “disorder” gives the patient a feeling that what they are suffering from is classified and treatable and that there have been others who are suffering from the same symptoms.   It minimizes stigma and clears obstacles and distractions to treatment.  It is a small step in getting those who need help to seek the necessary goal of getting treatment for their addiction or alcoholism.

Get Help Today or Help Others Seek Treatment

Wanting to seek treatment is an important step to actually going out and getting it.  Whether it is the choice of words you use to describe yourself or to label others, it affects this crucial first step.  Through conscious or unconscious means, calling someone an “abuser” affects their willingness to seek treatment and perpetuates their problem.  If you feel shame, guilt, or self-loathing from your addiction, know that you can get help and overcome those negative thoughts.  If you know a loved one who might be suffering from this, you can be a big part and their goal of getting treatment.  Call us today at 866.540.5242 and we will answer all your questions.