When talking about opioid use disorder, language matters
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EmailUsing “person-first” language is an important aspect of addressing opioid and other substance use stigma.
As communities across Michigan continue to address the state’s opioid overdose epidemic, the right language can help change our conversations and narratives around drug use. Using inclusive, person-first language shifts how we think about addiction and opioid use disorder (OUD). Historically, substance use has been considered a moral failing or character flaw, but research supports that for some, it is a medical disorder or chronic brain disease.
Updating how we talk about OUD and similar conditions can reinforce the truth about addiction and likely improve the support that people with OUD receive from their communities.
Person-first language places the individual first, acknowledging identity as a person and the nature of drug use as a disease. For example, referring to someone as living with opioid use disorder is less harmful than referring to them as an “addict” or “drug abuser.” When this type of negative language is used, it could impact a person’s potential for support and recovery from problematic substance use.
Using person-first language helps minimize stigma around opioid and substance use disorders. Stigma refers to the negative associations, attitudes and beliefs we have toward people living with an opioid or substance use disorder. Many people who have OUD or who are in recovery face blame and judgment because of language that suggests they are morally at fault for their disease or that describes them solely through the lens of their addiction.
For instance, negative labels such as “junkie” or “crackhead” shame an individual for drug use. Many of these stigmatizing terms are deeply ingrained within our culture. Continued use of this language influences our perceptions, attitudes and corresponding interactions with people who use drugs. The perpetuated stigma and resulting discrimination based on language often discourage those who are most in need of help from coming forward for treatment and support.
As author David Sheff writes in his book Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy, when we put aside our biases and recognize that people with substance use disorders aren’t immoral, weak, or less than, “blame, shame and anger can be replaced with compassion.”
Some additional examples of person-first language include:
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Table adapted from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020)
Shifting our language around OUD and substance use disorder can encourage others to discuss serious matters of drug use with loved ones and healthcare professionals more openly. Reducing stigma and helping connect individuals to prevention and recovery resources can help address the opioid overdose epidemic. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids offers a range of additional strategies that families, community members, educators and healthcare providers can use for understanding and addressing OUD.
Learn more about person-first language, treatment options, resources, and prevention strategies for substance use in your community through Michigan State University Extension’s Michigan Substance Use, Prevention, Education, and Recovery (MiSUPER) work.
If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health support, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
