family and medical professionals pushing loved ones towards drugs

 

Medical professionals

According to The National Library of Medicine, “In 2012…47.6% of adults between 60 and 64 years of age reported lifetime drug use.” Older generations, while teenagers are larger consumers, partake in drug use. Disappointingly, teenagers use drugs, but many adults that could be the parents or the grandparents of those exact teenagers have substance abuse issues. Usually, teenagers are the only generation talked about when it comes to drug use, but this ignorance around drug use within the older generation produces a stronger foundation for stigma. Stigma is a discrimination towards a person- sometimes the person is someone that has substance abuse issues. Treating people differently, using certain condescending phrases or even words such as “Junkie” and “druggie” are used to discriminate towards people struggling with addiction. For the person struggling with substance abuse, their willingness to receive treatment, the intensity of their addiction, and a lowered self-esteem are consequences of the stigma placed onto them.  

While stigma occurs regularly throughout society, it is also seen prominently within medical professionals. In the article from The National Institute on Drug Abuse, a story is shared about a man, “who was injecting heroin in his leg at a ‘shooting gallery’—a makeshift injection site—in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during a visit there several years ago. His leg was severely infected, and I urged him to visit an emergency room—but he refused. He had been treated horribly on previous occasions, so preferred risking his life, or probable amputation, to the prospect of repeating his humiliation.” Doctor appointments should be a matter of care and privacy, since no one wants to feel rushed, scared, or judged.  Receiving treatment from a doctor, whether it be back pain or whatever, you should feel comfortable because if not, you may not want to go back to the doctors ever again. This concept is relatable for a person struggling with addiction; if they are not comfortable then why would they go back? Therefore, people in this career field need to be more cautious about their words and attitudes because people who desperately want help won’t receive it since they aren’t being treated fairly.

            Now, calling someone names does not create solutions, rather it create more problems. This example is shown through The National Institute on Drug Abuse, “rodents dependent on heroin or methamphetamine still choose social interaction over drug self-administration, given a choice; but when the social choice is punished, the animals revert to the drug.” We use rats for science because their brains are so like ours, and when stigma is used it pushes people away from social interaction, and just like the rats, people with substance abuse issues choose drugs because the social interaction option is taken away. As read, in The National Institute on Drug Abuse, “The humiliating rejection experienced by people who are stigmatized for their drug use acts as a powerful social punishment, driving them to continue and perhaps intensify their drug-taking.” The discrimination towards people with substance issues, while you may think It is helpful, actually pushes them to continue their unwanted habit.  

            Simply, stigma can put a damper on the self-esteem of someone who is struggling with substance abuse. According to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine, a random sample of participants were asked about their attitude towards people with addictions. Specifically, “Forty-three percent were opposed to giving individuals addicted to drugs equivalent health insurance benefits to the public at-large…” Forty-three percent of people believe that victims struggling with addiction should not be given healthcare, so why would the people that are struggling think they are worthy of healthcare if other people don’t believe so?  In addition, in The National Library of Medicine, “As people with mental and substance use disorders become aware of public stigma and of related discriminatory practices, they internalize the perceived stigma and apply it to themselves.” Constantly being put down for something you can’t fully control is damaging, even if you believe that people need to stop being so sensitive.

On the other hand, discrimination may be thought as something helpful to project so that the person with the addiction will feel compelled to stop habit. It has been proven through Addiction Center that “healthy family roles and behaviors include holding the loved one accountable for their behavior and creating rewards for positive choices,” can be an impactful activity. Hurtful words, shunning, and disappointed attitudes are not going to convince your loved ones to receive the treatment that they need. Instead, embracing their mistakes and their addiction can indicate that they are loved and they will always have support even through the rough times of recovery. 

            As clearly evidenced, stigma, including words such as “Junkie” and “crackhead,” prevents people struggling with substance abuse issues from receiving treatment, worsening their addiction, and causing that person to struggle with low self-esteem. No matter the age of the person struggling with addiction, teenager or adult, stigma negatively affects everyone. There is no reason as to why someone should be shunned from society. No one wants their loved ones to die because of their struggle with addiction.