Going public with sobriety

Alcoholism is hardly a rare disorder in the United States. According to recent studies, 12.7% of adult Americans currently suffer from alcohol use disorder, more commonly known as alcoholism; according to other studies, 29% will meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder at some point during their adult lives. If you add drugs to the mix, addiction (substance use disorder, including alcoholism) is even more common: it is estimated that in 2015, 20.8 million Americans met criteria for a substance use disorder within the prior year. Given how common this problem is, one might think addiction would be readily accepted by our society, and that all one would have to do in order to get support is to admit one’s problem and ask for help. Right? Unfortunately, drug and alcohol disorders, along with other mental health disorders such as depression, are among the most stigmatized of all maladies. Many people view substance use disorders through a lens of stigma, which often becomes internalized, and thus many people suffering from this disease have crippled self-esteem. As a result, people afflicted with addiction and alcoholism generally tend to suffer in the shadows, to keep their suffering secret, and to refrain from asking for help, often until it is too late to right the course of their broken lives. They fear being looked down on, being despised, and being judged as having “bad moral character,” and for having deliberately chosen this unforgiving disease. Reasons to go p...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Addiction Alcohol Source Type: blogs