THE STIGMA OF ADDICTION – PART 3

When I came to recovery, I did not expect society to open its arms to welcome me.  I had no illusions.  I knew how people perceived alcoholism and the addicted.

The chaos the alcoholic creates and the resulting damage to society are enormous and costly.  Families are destroyed.  Money is spent.  Lives are lost because of drunk drivers.

All of these undesirable actions (and more!) of the addicted stay in the minds of people and create negative feelings and fears – a stigma that is difficult to erase.

Society’s perception of the alcoholic or drug addict results from a lack of knowledge about recovery and it is up to those of us who are now living sober to educate others and help to minimize this stigma.