Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
use the words you want them to believe for THEMSELVES! 💔
Stop the stigma one word at a time!!!
The word "ADDICT", abbreviations of, AD, AS or any other, spoken or written publicly and especially written behind closed groups, should never be used to describe our own or others facing Addiction, a Substance Use Disorder.
Our words, those not personally fighting Addiction/SUDs but alongside those we love matter. When referring to our loved ones, all those fighting it is critical they hear and feel our love and support and we speak it!
Our culture for decades has spoon fed us language that separates our own and others from society. It is time to give them all their first names back, just like the first day we chose it, wrote it to paper or called each upon meeting them for the first time.
It is time to change the language used while speaking of, referring to and writing in "First Person", "She/He suffers from Addiction", "My daughter faces a Substance Use Disorder", My son, My sister, My brother".... use first person or names for all struggling against the Beast or tragically taken by it, Humanize them!!
I purposely do not replace the actual word Addiction completely with SUDs, but use it in conjunction and in first person, as those facing a disease that brings such deadly force, for me SUDs can describe less fatal substance use disorders for many, diminishing the seriousness of what the disease Addiction brings. It is your choice how you choose to refer to it, but the word ADDICT, should never be used!
All others in our world that face a potential deadly disease are not identified in a manner that makes each feel less than human. Using words that separate a person from the rest of society, makes them outcast of it!! The word ADDICT does exactly that ~ Stop using it, saying it and writing it.
Changing our language, giving our children and loved ones, and others that fight their identities back, is to give each back to a place they already belong, helping each maintain recovery and those actively fighting find it, and allowing them to reach out for the help needed without the shame each already feels!
No one is an "Addict", an abbreviation of, each are simply loved human beings, each are somebody's someone with names!
Changing language starts with all of us that truly understand the strength it takes to fight against this unforgiving disease!!
Give all that fight and who have been taken, their identities back!