Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.
Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.
Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.
Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.
| Instead Of: | Try Using: | Because: |
|---|---|---|
| Addict, Junkie, Druggie | Person with Substance Use Disorder | Over time the word “addict” has become a stereotype that carries negative connotations, by using person-first language and referring to the name of the diagnosis, we give the person their identity. |
| Drug Abuser | Drug User/Person Who Uses Drugs or abbreviation (PWUD) | Person-first language ensures the person is not identified as their diagnosis, rather a whole person who has a diagnosis. The word “abuse” has carried negative stigma, implying that the person deserves to be criminalized rather than given treatment. |
| Clean/Dirty | In-Recovery/In Active Use | Clean & dirty implies that using or not using a substance would make them “dirty” or “clean”. In reality drug use does not determine if someone is clean/dirty, they are people regardless. |
| Alcoholic | Person with Alcohol Use Disorder | Person-first language |
| Dirty/Clean Drug Test Results | Negative or Positive | It’s important that we refer to drug screen testing exactly as it is. A drug screen cannot be clean or dirty, it’s either negative or positive. We never want to refer to someone as dirty, which can affect their mental health severely. |
| Habit | Substance Use Disorder | Using the term “habit” may undermine the severity of the diagnosis. |
| Addicted Baby | Baby with neonatal opioid withdrawal/neonatal abstinence syndrome or baby born to mother who uses drugs | Newborn babies cannot have substance use disorder, they are simply born with symptoms of withdrawal. Using person-first language minimizes harm. |
| Words Matter: Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) | ||
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