FAQ
To what extent does stigma still affect the perception of the addict?
A stigma is a visible or known attribute that relegates a person to a substandard or less desirable category of people. Addiction may be either visible or invisible, depending on how much visual deterioration has set in. The person is labeled as defective and is subsequently branded an outcast, an example of what not to be. The person’s status, how s/he is seen through the eyes of others, and how s/he will ultimately feel about him or herself are under assault. Other people respond to the addict with avoidance, indifference and disdain.
Despite the disease concept, addiction still carries a huge stigma. The moment the label – ‘addict’ – is applied, the person is categorized, and all kinds of images are conjured up, as the addict is perceived as weak or bad, part of a less-desirable group. In our culture, there is also a strong stigma associated with having a problem, with needing and reaching out for help, albeit to a lesser extent than the stigma attached to having an addiction. Exposure, therefore, poses a huge risk for the addict and presses the button of internalized shame along.
It is not at all unusual for the influence of stigma to still spill into therapists’ and treatment practitioners’ laps. Certainly they are not exempt from being affected like everyone else. Unless educated about stigma, and aware of his or her own reactions, the helping professional can easily lose objectivity, which will ultimately hamper his or her ability to identify and discuss addiction.
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About Daniel Linder, MFT
Relationships. I was born with a keen sense about relationships, was always assessing how close and intimate people are with each other. I had a knack for relationships. The importance of relationships cuts to the core of who I am. The combination of clinical training, 25 years of professional experience treating dysfunctional, non-intimate couples and families, as well as rigorous self analysis has given me a lot to work with. I put what seemed to come naturally to me under a microscope in an effort to break the process of building healthy relationships down to concrete essentials: Understanding of Basic Principles, Communication Skills, Self-realization and Intimacy.