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University Affiliation Impact of Stigma Associated with Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Drug addiction is a menace that continues to weigh down on the community. Primarily, the community feels downtrodden when looking at a member of the community becoming unproductive and wasting away due to drug and alcohol addiction. While the start of drug and alcohol usage may be social, the end result in addiction is seclusion and loneliness. Ultimately, stigmatization due to drug and alcohol addiction leads to recurrent negative effects that worsen the situation.
The term stigma is defined as discrediting an individual or placing a mark of shame on a person (Matthews, Dwyer, …show more content…
In particular, stigmatization makes it harder for individuals to open up to their problem, thereby missing an opportunity to seek and receive help. Equally, being labelled as an addict comes with a range of negative consequences that include potentially lowing an employment opportunity, losing one’s family, and healthcare cover. Eventually, the drug and alcohol addict results in concealing the problem, which may end in the loss of life of the individual.
References
Kulesza, M., Larimer, M. E. & Rao, D. (2013). Substance use related stigma: What we know and the way forward. Journal of Addiction Behaviors. Therapy& Rehabilitation, 2(2), 782
Kulesza, M., Ramsey, S. E., Brown, R. A., & Laimer, M. E. (2014). Stigma among individuals with substance use disorders: Does it predict substance use, and does it diminish with treatment? Journal of Addiction Behaviors, Therapy & Rehabilitation, 3(1), 100-115. doi:10.4172/2324-9005.1000115.
Livingston, J. D., Milne, T., Fang, M. L. & Amari, E. (2012). The effectiveness of interventions for reducing stigma related to substance use disorders: a systematic review. Addiction, 107(1), 39-50. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03601.x.
Matthews, S., Dwyer, R. & Snoek, A. (2017). Stigma and self-stigma in addiction. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 14(2), 275-288.