prejudice surrounding it. People were quarantined, and it was called the
“gay plague.”
Society blamed gay men for being sick because they contracted AIDS
by having sex with other gay men. Society felt they deserved to die from
their disease. It was treated like a moral failing, just like addiction is
today. Getting HIV/AIDS was seen as a “choice,” just like addiction is
today. Due to the ignorance and stigma around HIV/AIDS, thousands of
people died. Boticelli (2016) also stated, “Public policy was being held
hostage by stigma and fear… also held hostage were compassion, care,
research, recovery, and treatment.” So, what changed? Hampton (2018)
noted that people started speaking up. Princess Diana visited AIDS
hospices and made sure the media got photos of her hugging and holding
hands with AIDS patients. “She tried to show that the illness didn’t
dehumanize someone. The way we treat them does” (pp. 188-189).
There was a galvanization for change of people speaking out and
bringing awareness of the facts of the disease itself that changed the
landscape of HIV/AIDS. We may even see a cure for it in our lifetime.
My hope is that the stigma will change surrounding substance use
disorder as well and change public policy surrounding treatment.
Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Our treatment model for substance use disorder is lacking and, quite
frankly, archaic. Inpatient treatment for drugs and alcohol (everything