defunding is always someone else ’ s problem and not a systemic issue .
All these statements feed a narrative that addiction is fixed , that addiction is a choice , that people can ’ t or don ’ t want to get better , that people are passive and helpless . The combined message is ‘ it ’ s your fault that you are not well and you are not worthy of help ’. If we are to improve treatment access for people with multiple health and social disadvantages we need to confront this subtle stigma-driven language . We need to return to the simplest of concepts , namely that people should be made aware of all treatment options and that health is a human right . The NHS was on the principle that good quality healthcare should be accessible regardless of wealth , but people with mental health and addiction treatment needs are still waiting for that to ring true .
The continued underfunding of the sector means that every year more and more people are excluded from rehab . If we are to make the most of the possibility of a genuine end to austerity for the treatment sector we must address the subtle stigma that shames and blames people seeking help , and move on from a funding-led approach , not just to a demand-led approach , but to a rights-led approach to healthcare . The Care Act , Equality Act and Human Rights Act offer rights to people with mental health and addiction treatment needs , and we sincerely hope that the Dame Carole Black report will support the upholding of those rights .
Liam Ward is residential marketing manager at Phoenix Futures
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Language
SETTING THE TONE
Can we guide the media towards more responsible language , asked Adfam in an event that brought together journalists and people with lived experience
is systemic in reinforcing stigma ,’ said Adfam ’ s chief executive Vivienne Evans , introducing ‘ Reporting of substance ’, an online discussion on stigma and language . The family support charity organised the event to help feed into developing media guidelines , and it involved journalists , policymakers , and people with lived experience who gave informative insights from their engagement with the media .
People were too often defined by their activities in the media – ‘ a drug addict ’ or a ' junkie ’ instead of a mother or a son , said Harry Shapiro , director of DrugWise . As the main source of information for most people , the media had a responsibility – but it could reinforce existing values and beliefs and serve up scapegoats . Through the vampire images of heroin users from the 1920s , the Reefer Madness and Cocaine Fiends films of the 1930s , and the political campaigns focusing on drug use as a moral weakness , there was an individual pathology narrative that hadn ’ t changed much since Victorian times . The public were led to ask , ‘ Why should we fund a lifestyle choice ?’
The key skill for journalists should be to listen without judgement and preserve dignity , said Sharon Frew , chief reporter of STV News . It was important for media to honour promises , such as only using first names and selecting appropriate pictures that were sympathetic to the story , rather than sensationalising it . ‘ Let people tell their stories in their words , as that ’ s where the power is ,’ added Karin Goodwin , journalist for The Ferret .
Dani Carmichael from the Scottish Recovery Consortium was frustrated that there wasn ’ t a standard to hold journalists to . ‘ I contacted the NUJ and they said there was one in the pipeline ,’ she said . There was a guide on responsible reporting on mental health and death by suicide that could be adapted to apply to drug use and recovery , she suggested . With Rebecca Bradley of Scottish Families , she had conducted a thematic analysis of news articles and reports and an online survey to both of their communities and realised the work needed to change from stigmatising to empathetic language . Even useful information was being lost behind the language barrier .
It was an uncomfortable subject – not least because we are part of the problem , said Austin Smith of the Scottish Drugs Forum . People needed to understand that drug use was not a moral failing , and the word ‘ addict ’ was disempowering when used dismissively by the media , ‘ as if that is all you need to know about someone ’.
Rod Anderson spoke for many who had had an uncomfortable experience when sharing his story with the media . Having been at ease with the interviewer , he was disappointed by the end result and the language used in the article , which had focused more on his addiction than his recovery . ‘ I felt I lost control of the narrative ,’ he said . ‘ When telling your story you have to own your own narrative and never be afraid of asking for copy approval ,’ advised Camilla Tominey of the Daily Telegraph . ‘ Journalists are lucky to speak to you and have a chance to share your story .’
DDN contributed to the debate , agreeing that dignity and respect were paramount . ‘ We try to avoid labels , but sometimes it ’ s hard to do ,’ said Claire Brown , editor . ‘ Someone writes about their own experience and talks about themselves as an addict , an alcoholic , with a struggle to become clean . Who are we to redefine them if they ’ re talking in the first person ?’ Context was as important as language , making sure the
' There is an individual pathology narrative that hasn ’ t changed much since Victorian times . The public are led to ask , " Why should we fund a lifestyle choice ?"'
HARRY SHAPIRO
published version was authentic to the contributor ’ s voice .
Roger Howard , former chief executive of the UK Drug Policy Commission ( UKDPC ) pointed out that we needed to understand journalists ’ priorities to make progress , and the structure of a national newsroom where the reporter taking the story was likely to be different to the headlinewriter and picture researcher . The education needed to affect the entire culture of news organisations – a task that had been tackled through UKDPC publications back in 2010 . The guidance was still relevant today , and available in an archive at www . ukdpc . org . uk / publications
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