Why It’s Important To Talk About Addiction

Addiction, recognised as a mental condition, is a taboo-like subject here in society.

Due to misconceptions and stereotypical images, talking about addiction is an uncomfortable action for many. However, the damages of such negligence and ignorance are significant, showing the importance of communication, empathy, and education.

Sadly, those who are specifically addicted to drugs and alcohol are categorised into the same box, are judged, and are disregarded as valuable beings of society.

Addiction is a completely misunderstood condition, which is judged on surface-level information, rather than deeper understandings of its cause, effects, and makeup as an uncontrollable disorder.

This reason alone showcases why it’s important to talk about addiction, to break down the barriers of stigmatisation, of stereotypes and of menial, low-quality support, helping to instead understand and care for sufferers.

Here are some benefits of maintaining an open, transparent mind when considering the talking point of addiction, from both an onlookers and sufferers’ perspective. At Step One Recovery, we’re here as a non-judgmental, professional and specialist service, to support you through your addiction diagnosis, experiences, and recovery.

 

The taboo subject of addiction

Openly talking about addiction is challenging for many. It’s branded as a taboo subject due to the lack of education and understanding that surrounds the realism of addiction.

Many individuals believe that they understand what it’s like to be an addict. Misconceptions, incorrect opinions, and unhelpful views are regularly painted of addiction diagnoses, making it very hard for sufferers to reach out.

Understandably, unhealthy, toxic, and damaging behaviours are disregarded by society. For example, crime is unjustifiable. Strong opinions are formed and vocalised around such actions. Yet, here is where addiction is misunderstood, seen as a choice, as a conscious behaviour and as a lifestyle of low life.

Addiction is instead justifiable, due to its diagnosis as a brain condition, uncontrollable and highly impartial. It affects people from all walks of life, caused by both internal and external vulnerabilities. For example, 35 million people across the globe are affected by drug use disorders, all abusing different types of drugs, to different degrees, for different reasons.

Recognising this is very important, as ignorance around the cause and medical unpredictability of addiction is damaging the mental health of many, is reducing opportunities of speaking out, and is heightening loneliness, through an already lonely condition.

Here’s why it’s important to talk about addiction, helping onlookers understand and sufferers open up through addiction battles.

 

Why it’s important to talk about addiction

It’s clear to see how a lack of understanding, empathy and education are damaging opportunities for recovery for many addicts. Through the risks of judgment, many are delaying or ignoring the chance to recover, aggravating mental health and addiction development.

Yet, through active attempts to bust the misconceptions of addiction, and increase its understanding and diagnosis as a brain condition, those challenges can be reduced, helping to promote open recovery.

Why it’s important to talk about addiction, from a sufferer’s perspective, falls on the ability to improve mental health, to reduce loneliness, to feel understood and supported, to increase personal value and motivation to recover, and to also increase the ability to place confidence in rehabilitation.

Reducing the taboo of addiction can help to engage addicts through communication, reaching out and relying on support and guidance.

From an onlooker’s perspective, talking about addiction will encourage access to help and support, by showcasing the normalisation of reaching out. Greater awareness will also increase the knowledge of warning signs, to potentially spot addiction in its development.

It’s also important to talk about addiction to highlight personal support, concern, and encouragement, to share the detriment of addiction and the opportunity to recover.

Learning about addiction will also help to reduce negative outlooks surrounding behavioural habits and changes, to slowly transmit through society, helping to adapt mass outlooks

This is very important, to show addicts that they have nothing to be ashamed of through addiction diagnosis and recovery.

 

Benefits of open communication

While some behaviours may be unjustifiable, it’s vital that as a society that we lead with open and transparent minds. This will allow for addiction to be spoken about, understood, and digested, along with increasing the prevalence and uptake of treatment and therapies.

A lack of understanding can increase feelings of isolation, loneliness, reduce self-esteem and also act as a catalyst for poor mental health. Avoidable through building a supportive network of communication and empathy, commonly deterring effects of addiction can be minimised.

It’s also found that a lack of communication around addiction promotes denial throughout users, ignoring the warning signs and downplaying behaviours. Through open communication, personal accountability can increase, due to reduced judgment of acceptance, helping to decrease the development of addiction.

Knowing why it’s important to talk about addiction is essential yet acting on it is just as important through offering and accepting support.

 

Professional support through addiction

Support through addiction is available, especially invaluable if personal support is lacking. Through drug and alcohol rehab clinics, treatments and therapies can be experienced, along with emotional support, to work through the physical and psychological consequences of addiction.

Mental health treatment is also available, found to heal any vulnerabilities or personal issues with addiction, from a direct impact or from the response of addiction. Here at Step One Recovery, we have a range of treatment centres available to offer the correct support you require as an individual or as a family, to talk about, heal and overcome addiction.

Being aware of why it’s important to talk about addiction is encouraged, whether you’re struggling or simply lack understanding of its makeup. The misconceptions around addiction are damaging recovery opportunities, along with weakening the mental health of sufferers.

Instead, listening, understanding, supporting, and encouraging rehabilitation will be recommended, offering a world of difference to addicts.

Contact our team if you personally require support or whether you’re looking to learn about the effects of addiction. You aren’t alone, able to talk confidentially here at Step One Recovery.

Source
https://www.who.int/health-topics/drugs-psychoactive