Stop the Stigma: Why Do We Look at Addictions Differently?
We have all done it. We see someone battling addiction and we ignore them, shake our heads, or maybe even glare with disgust. We judge. It can be easy to do, especially when the addiction is so severe, it can be hard to see the person inside of the “junkie” — or any number of any names we call them — drunk, druggie, pothead, burnout, stoner, crackhead, etc. These terms are proof that addiction stigma exists as none of them convey compassion or empathy. Yet, compassion and empathy are precisely what those living with addiction need and deserve.