Notice October 25, 2024: The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) phone system has returned to normal operations. Community members can contact SMCHD at 301-475-4330.

Go Purple

The St. Mary’s Goes Purple initiative works to educate the community on substance use disorders with the goal of ending stigma, advocating treatment, celebrating recovery, and promoting harm reduction practices in St. Mary’s County.

What is a Substance Use Disorder? 

Substance use disorder or SUD, is the clinical term to describe the disease of addiction. SUD a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

While you might choose to drink alcohol, try drugs, or gamble, you don’t choose to become addicted.

SUDs are a lot like other diseases, such as heart disease. Both disrupt the normal, healthy functioning of an organ in the body, both have serious harmful effects, and both are, in many cases, preventable and treatable. If left untreated, they can last a lifetime and may lead to death.

People of all backgrounds and beliefs can experience addiction. It can be hard to understand why some people are more prone to addiction than others. Many factors can raise your risk of becoming addicted to alcohol and other drugs. 

What is Stigma?

Stigma is a collection of attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and structures that generate negative attitudes about people with a condition.

“The biggest killer out there is stigma. Stigma keeps people in the shadows. Stigma keeps people from coming forward and asking for help. Stigma keeps families from admitting that there is a problem.” – Jerome Adams, U.S. Surgeon General

Stigma often causes people with addiction to become so embarrassed or ashamed that they conceal symptoms—and avoid seeking the very treatment, services, and support they need and deserve. Family and loved ones experience stigma hesitate to take action or to ask for help. They carry guilt and shame –affecting their health and wellness. With SUD the sooner you intervene, the better the outcome—yet stigma causes patients and families to keep the disease a secret for fear of being judged and marginalized.

Stigma harms the 1 in 5 Americans affected by mental health conditions. It shames individuals into silence and prevents them from seeking help, damages hope for recovery, and ends lives. Too often individuals aren’t told that they’re not alone, they can recover and there is hope.

The Types of Stigma

  • Self Stigma – accepting and internalizing negative stereotypes about oneself
  • Public Stigma – negative attitudes and fears that isolate groups of people
  • Stigma Against Medication – a belief that medications make you weak or are substituting one addiction for another
  • Structural Stigma – excluding a group of individuals from opportunities and resources.

When we STOP STIGMA, we SUPPORT RECOVERY

TAKE THE PLEDGE TO END STIGMA

Language Matters

Words we use shape how we see the world–and ourselves. We have a choice in the words we use to describe ourselves, others, and the world around us. The words we choose and the meanings we attach to them influence our decisions, beliefs, and well-being.

Change your Language! Words have the power to build up or destroy a person. Here are some words to use and some to avoid: Person with substance use disorder rather than addict. Person with alcohol use disorder rather than alcoholic. Substance use disorder rather than drug problem or habit. Drug misuse or harmful use rather than drug abuse. Person with substance use disorder rather than drug abuser. Abstinent, not actively using rather than Clean. Actively using rather than dirty. Testing negative for substance use rather than a clean drug screen. Testing positive for substance use rather than a dirty drug screen. Person in recovery rather than former, reformed addict or alcoholic. Medications for addiction treatment rather than opioid replacement or methadone maintenance.

The way we talk about people with a mental health disorder can change lives – in either a positive or negative manner.

Everyone can play a role: Use respectful language to talk about mental health conditions. Challenge misconceptions when you see or hear them. See the person, not the condition. Offer support if you think someone is having trouble Avoid labels such as the following: Challenged Crazy Demented Lunatic Normal/not normal Psycho/Psychopath Schizo Special Victim Wacko Use Respectful language that does not define someone by an illness: Instead of She's bipolar try she has bipolar disorder or she's living with bipolar disorder. Instead of Schizophrenic try person with schizophrenia. Instead of the mentally ill try people with a mental illness or mental health condition. Instead of committed suicide try died by suicide.

Through powerful words and actions, we can end the social and systemic stigmas for those living with mental health conditions. Together, we can encourage acceptance and understanding.

What is Recovery? 

Recovery is a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. Because setbacks are a natural part of life, resilience becomes a key component of recovery.Addiction recovery is a deeply personal journey, and different strategies work for different people. The two most common, and very different, recovery philosophies are abstinence and Harm Reduction. Finding the right treatment approach can be the key to a successful recovery journey.

Recovery Setbacks

The chronic nature of addiction means that for some people who have setbacks or relapse, a term to describe a return to drug use after an attempt to stop, can be part of the process, but newer treatments are designed to help with relapse prevention.

The Conversation ….

Congratulations on getting the ball rolling

How can you GO PURPLE?

  1. Education: Learn about the disease of addiction, risk and protective factors, and the harm of stigma 
  2. Change your language: Use terms that reduce stigma and negative bias when talking about addiction
  3. Share personal stories and experiences: Invite people to share their stories – positive interactions can change attitudes
  4. Celebrate those in recovery!
  5. TAKE THE PLEDGE to describe addiction as a treatable disease and use empowering language instead of words that hurt

Additional Resources 

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