Language Counts in Helping Those with Substance Use Disorders

Nearly 49 million people 12 years old and older in 2022 faced substance use disorders (SUDs) in the past year according government survey results published last November. Among those classified as needing treatment that year, only about 1 in 4 received it, according to the survey, and not even 1% of adolescents with an SUD sought any treatment. These results from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) are discouraging, but all of us can do something to help. Many of the reasons those with an SUD don’t get treatment, such as lack of accessible resources and finances, may be beyond our control. We can, however, work to destigmatize SUDs so that those afraid of being labeled for their illnesses are more likely to seek help. One simple way to destigmatize SUDs is to consider our word choices. The National Institute on Drug Abuse includes a list of terms to use and those to avoid. As with many disorders, one recommendation is to focus on the person rather than frontloading the illness, so use “person with an SUD” instead of more problematic terms, such as “addict,” “alcoholic” or “user.” Another outdated term, still used in many organization...