Substance abuse and addiction are serious issues, but they are also highly stigmatized. People who struggle with substance abuse and addiction often feel isolated and discouraged from seeking help. Fortunately, there is help available to you if you’re struggling with substance abuse or addiction. You can get treatment for your condition and still be open about your past struggles when sharing with others. This article will discuss what stigma is in recovery, how it affects people in recovery, how to identify stigma when it’s present in your life, and ways to overcome it so that you can focus on healing!
What Is Stigma
The stigma associated with alcoholism and addiction recovery is difficult to understand. It’s not an illness that can be seen on someone’s skin or physical appearance. Instead, the stigma comes from people who make assumptions about a person based on their appearance and what they believe is right and wrong.
When it comes to alcoholics and addicts, there are many stereotypes that have been perpetuated throughout history: they’re criminals; they don’t work hard enough; they’re lazy or unmotivated; they don’t have families at home waiting for them because all of their time goes into drinking or doing drugs instead of being with loved ones—and the list goes on.
Meetings can be helpful because they give you the chance to connect with other people who have been through what you’re going through, which can help you feel less isolated in the process of addiction recovery. You’ll also find that many meetings have sponsors or counselors who can guide you through each stage of recovery and make sure that your goals are being met properly (such as attending aa meetings rochester ny regularly).
Dealing With Substance Abuse Stigma
It is normal to have a lot of self-doubt when you first begin your recovery. It is also important to remember that it takes time (sometimes a very long time) before you can see the benefits of your efforts or notice much change in your life. Be patient with yourself and give yourself credit for taking steps toward recovery rather than focusing on what you are still working on.
How could stigma be helpful? If people knew more about addiction, they would not stigmatize those who struggle with this disease. They would know how much strength and courage it takes for someone suffering from an addiction disorder to seek help and make changes in their life.
Practice Mindfulness, Embrace Self-Care, And Focus On Your Support Group
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to your feelings, thoughts, and surroundings without judgment. It’s a technique that can help you manage stress and cravings by helping you focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or future.
- Embrace self-care. Taking time for yourself will reduce your stress level—in turn making it easier for you to avoid alcohol in the first place! So take a hot bath or go for a walk; do whatever makes you feel happy and relaxed.
- Focus on your support network of friends, family members, treatment providers and other people who are experiencing similar struggles with recovery from substance abuse as yourself
It’s important to remember that stigma is a cycle of behaviors. For example, you might be stigmatizing yourself if you neglect self-care in favor of drinking. Or your friend could lose their support group by making negative comments about people with addictions. Whatever the case may be, it’s crucial that we stop stigmatizing substance abuse and instead change our attitudes toward people who need help with addiction recovery.
