Are you trying to recover from a substance use disorder? Being labeled a “drug addict” can influence a persons success in recovery once they’ve made the decision to get clean from drugs. Public opinions have a lot to do with how society affects recovery from addiction.
It can be detrimental for continued abstinence, but all hope is not lost. Learn more about the stereotypes that people with drug addiction go through and how they can move past it.
Stigma in Society Affects Recovery
Trying to recover from drug addiction is hard enough since it becomes a chronic disease that needs continued treatment. Even the most tenacious person can become vulnerable to the temptation of one more high or shot of whiskey.
Recovering takes a lot of hard work and persistence in staying sober. However, when society pushes their own views onto you, it can severely impact your recovery.
Society affects recovery even by the preconceived notion that all people with drug addiction, whether you are a current or former one, are all terrible people. Being repeatedly told by random people or old friends that you aren’t going to amount to anything due to your past will only sink into your subconscious and fester.
As reported by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, people’s stigma of those addicted to drugs results in them avoiding public places, believing they deserve poor treatment or foregoing other responsibilities in their life.
Therefore, other people’s opinion affects the emotional and mental state of an addict. This is very serious since it can destroy all the work you did in rehab, weakening all the perseverance you had. Those suffering from a mental illness and drug addiction could be at even more risk.
They might believe the things people say about them more than others since they aren’t always able to recognize the stigma for what it is. According to DrugRehab.com, a study found that those with a drug addiction observed the discrimination against them and became more depressed as a result.
Plus, those who previously suffered from mood disorders discerned even more negative vibes from people who were judging them. They are both medical issues that should be taken seriously. Instead, society creates an environment that makes people feel ashamed of themselves.
Drug Convictions and Being Judged
Going to jail drug use can occur if you don’t get help for your substance use disorder. Each person’s case is different and may or may not result in jail time. Whether you were hooked on Meth, Cocaine, or Heroin, there will always be a record with your name attached if you get caught and convicted.
Yet, the public fails those addicted once again by judging those with drug convictions. Most people are wary of those with this type of history since they think people can’t change. It can be a real battle to find a legal, stable, and a good-paying job after a drug conviction.
There are very few jobs that will fall under this category, and some locations might not even have any that’s good enough. You might need money for child support or enough to live on by yourself. As stated by DrugRehab.com, anti-drug laws make it impossible for those trying to stay abstinent since it can be hard to find a job, support your children, get welfare benefits, and licenses.
So, how does someone recovering from drug addiction live their life? They have to struggle through their disease as well as being able to stay on their feet when there are so many rules preventing them from moving on and starting over.
If people continues to judge them, and the law doesn’t seem to support their life after their past decisions, this is yet another example of how society affects recovery. When unsupported, many with addiction will lose hope and determination and their strive for a life of sobriety can slowly perish.
This is why there are so many relapses because there isn’t enough support for this type of disease for them to be able to fully recover into society again. There is always a problematic obstacle standing in their way. However, hope still lingers for everyone, so don’t give up the fight to continue your life and break the stigmas attached to drug addiction by:
Surround Yourself with Support
Your family is a great support system since all they want is for you to get healthy again. They don’t want to see you suffer through another relapse. Let them be a shoulder to lean on once in a while because having support from friends and family can mean a huge difference.
Attending AA Meetings
Whether you have family and friends backing you up or you are alone, going to AA or NA meetings can be very positive for you. Having people you can relate to can help you drive past other people’s stereotypes about being addicted and be influential.
Your family might be supportive, but being able to connect with others who have similar experiences can help reinforce your continued abstinence. AA meetings are all about hearing each other’s drug experience and mistakes without being judged. You can all learn from one another and have additional support when you feel cravings creeping back into your life.
Continuing Therapy for Recovery
Talking to an experienced therapist can mean the difference between a sober life and going back to old habits. Why is this? Therapists can help you get through all those cynical or cold comments that might be thrown your way after getting out of rehab. They can discuss and help you work through moments like this with a prevention plan.
Discussing and going over a prevention plan with your therapist can be very crucial in remaining sober. It’s pretty much a plan on what to do when a craving is triggered. Hearing pessimistic thoughts from ex-friends or acquaintances who aren’t supporting you can trigger you.
Often triggers result in the feeling of a need to get high and feel better. However, it will only put you back at square one. So, continuing therapy and maintain an exceptional and thorough prevention plan to prevent another relapse.
Long-term recovery from addiction is worth those roadblocks you will face after rehab. You will eventually find your way and remain abstinent. Rebuilding your life might be a challenge, but the end goal of having a loving family by your side is worth all those bleak moments.
Everyone has the right to get healthier, so don’t give in to their other people’s perceptions of who they think you should be. Rise above their ignorance and overcome everyone else’s expectations by getting back up and continuing to fight.
If you or a loved one is in need of treatment for alcohol or drug abuse, please reach out at (866) 578-7471. We can help get you started on the right path.
46 comments
Def. feel that stigma once you were a drug addict… like people never look at you the same.. it’s like you are tainted or you might be on the verge of using at any moment… some friends even feel like they gotta tiptoe around you when they talk about drinking or smokin pot.
This is a very well detailed and useful information. Thank you detox for this.
This is really true. Public perception matters, just that in some cases it could be detrimental. People’s opinions shouldn’t make us loose ourselves.
Community will contribute more harm than good to a person recovering from any kind of abuse. One just need to be determined and focused so as not to become prey of stigmatization.
Whether it is home or society due to addiction, we do not get respect anywhere. After recovery from addiction, we get a different place in the society.
That’s right ,society Will affect program recovery,the right society Will help fast sober.
Society plays a both role in everyone’s life. If you are doing good everone will try to fall you down but on the parallel side they criticize your bad habit too.
Undoubtedly, society plays a vital role in the recovery of drug addicts. The society can make or mar such effort. Big thanks go to Detox for this educative piece of information.
Wow! What a top notch article. I really found this educative and helpful. Thank you for sharing this.
It has a huge impact for sure. Not only for addiction but for everything really. Look we can always say we do not care about what others say thats cool but we cannot shut it off forever no!!!! So yes it has an effect but it depends on how we percieve it.
It was a very good information about addiction recovery. The environment matters a lot in addiction.
I do really like this. It’s highly full of educative ingredients.
This is a great exposition to the young and old. However, I am of the opinion that society should help in rehabilitating the drug addicts rather than discouraging them..
The society influences recovery in such a way that public opinion matters alot. And it helps.
Let help our love ones to get out of alcohol addiction. So, continuing therapy and maintain an exceptional and thorough prevention plan to prevent another relapse. Thank you for sharing this.
Going through addiction has its effect on the society. The society expects each person to contribute positively which causes their reaction if someone is an addict.
Drug addict is a life in the darkness. Let make it a deal to taste the life after darkness. The good news should be you eventually find your way and remain abstinent.
Society helps recovery from all manners of addictions. Giving people the grace to have a fast and steady recovery.
The best way to survive the society with addiction is to find moral support. Addiction is a shameful thing in the society as it is embodied with morals standard.
This is why it would be better to stay away from drugs to avoid any kind of abuse or stigma. it can really be devastating to anyone well being
Society affects our recovery. Once you an addicts and it’s well known to people you are a bad egg to the world such a stigma.
Society affects recovery in a positive way because it expects a lot from all people. The best way to live in the society full of addiction is abstinence.
We live a society that can criticize anybody without knowing their life’s journey. With this kind of stigma it will difficult for addicts to seek help
I concur with your submission. There is a need for us to change our attitude towards the addicts.
This is a very interesting, well detailed and comprehensive article. People tend to stigmatize those who are addicted to a particular drug or habit and it affects there rate of recovery.
If the society can see the need to help people with addiction the better. This will aid their quick recovery.
It’s quite informative and helpful for those who suffer from such addictions. It can help them to recover from it.
The Society has a Great Influence on People going through addiction Challenges.
Attending AA meetings is wonderful as it helps addicts get recovery and sense of feeling normal…
Long-term addiction treatment is worth the challenges you’ll encounter after rehab. Everyone has the right to be healthier, so don’t give in to other people’s ideas about who you should be. By rising back up and continuing to fight, you may rise above their stupidity and surpass everyone else’s expectations.
It is very useful to know about such things and get help to recover as well from such situations.
The ways to recover from Addiction above are really effective and should be shared across all social Medias.
The society has strong influence on Addiction recovery also.
The society sure has a lot of help to offer during recoveries. Really nice writeup this is by the way. We help each other by lifting ourselves
This could be negative or positive. Most of the time, it’s always been negative.
Stigmatisation is something really serious. It takes a while before people will forget
The community is an integral part of our life… Thanks Detox.
We are product of the society. Thanks Detox.
What a powerful piece. I think the argument was so on point in that we are all susceptible to some form of addiction and rather than condemning those struggling, we need to focus more on rehabilitation. Many of the smartest and most successful people have had their darker moments with substance use and their adversity is what is so inspiring. Family support, AA meetings and therapy are all very proactive methods for recovery and need to be recognized.
Addiction kills and influences life negatively. It should be discouraged in our society.
As a society the best thing we can do for any recovering addict is to accord them all the support they may need. It is a difficult time for them and being judged never helps.
This article is quite educative and informative, the society plays a major role in the life of an individual, it can be for the good or bad of an individual. It depends on the type of society he is in. Detox to rehab thank you for sharing this amazing article.
The society can either make or mar the recovery process. Addicts suffer most times from stigmatization.
Stigmatisation is the major problem here. If people can show love to the victim and let him or her know why he needs recovery it will be better.
This is a reflection of the way we interact with one another. It isn’t help those who are in one problem or the other to get their relieve on time
These reject have been so pronounce to the extended that the victims have no say in their communities. Thanks to Detox To Rehab for this piece of information.
Let the society be more accommodating so as to help those in this menace to come back to the society. Thanks for this great information.
This information is a good one to lift one’s spirit. People who are down with the stigma the society is giving to then can actually have a better hope with this.