What are the best words to use to describe addiction and recovery?
Recovery advocates believe that times are changing – and the language needs to change, too. For example, now that science has helped us to see that alcoholism is an addiction, it should be referred to as an addiction just like a cocaine or heroin addiction. We find the use of the terms “abuse” and “substance abuse” as particularly troubling because they undermine the understanding that addiction is an illness, not a moral failure. We believe that language matters and non-discriminatory language can help society relinquish the stigma that comes with addiction to alcohol and other drugs. We urge federal agencies that use the word abuse in their names to change those names, journalists to refer to “people with addictions” and that organizations discuss and reform their own use of language.
