It is true that the social stigma attached to a particular disease can add to the shaming that keeps sufferers from treatment, and addiction is no exception. But it is also true that some social stigmas serve a useful role in a healthy society when they identify behaviors that are unacceptable, and should remain so. Advocates of the disease model of addiction often have difficulty seeing the useful aspects of stigma in addiction. Errant behavior associated with the loss of control in addiction should carry a social stigma because such behavior hurts people. And social disapproval often plays a role in breaking down the defenses of the user. In environments where that social stigma is absent or winked at, such as in some college drinking environments, substance abuse problems flourish. I was amazed at the reaction to Michael Phelps's recent pot smoking episode. Commentators were falling all over themselves to say how Phelps should be given some slack because, after all, he's just a kid and blah blah blah. No, Michael Phelps uses an illegal drug, and that should be stigmatized. One other point: in a world where exhibiting one's private life on the internet is embraced as "empowerment," it's no surprise that people who choose anonymity for there medical condition are criticized.

I think that this article is addressing one of the most important aspects of both mental health, and overall wellness today, which is that the stigma attached to these problems acts as a barrier to help. Jerry's comment got me thinking about the usefullness of stigma. I think there is something to be said for creating a negative affiliation for behavious that harm the self or others, but the problem is that this kind of creation of shame or disgrace creates a much stonger barrier to actually get help and to help others. I think that the goal should be more about not creating an encouraging envrionment (i.e frat row at college), rather than creating a disgraceful association. We know people are going to make bad choices and get into rough spots. What we need is to ensure that they do not feel disgraced in admitting that, and more importanty, doing something about it. Unfortunately this takes a lot of time and effort from our society as a whole, so providing anonymous solutions as a stepping stone, I think, is a vital service. And once people are educated, whether through therapy, a 12 step program, or other social services, then they should be encouraged to share their story, as this works towards that environment of education, not stigma.

The use of stigma against the alcoholic is effective, if at all, essentially only at the prevention stage of this situation, i.e., before alcoholism takes hold. Once alcoholism has taken hold, the attempts to aggressively condemn alcoholics by stigma attacks will not assist in recovery, it may in fact prevent them from getting help (as Eric Shaw expressed in his comment above).

Oftentimes, alcoholic behaviors are judged as a moral issue, but the truth is that alcohol is calling the shots when they drink. Therefore, it is important to note that alcoholics have a mental health condition and that does not excuse their harmful behavior, it simply explains it. When alcoholics get sober, they often express extreme remorse for their drunken actions that harmed others and they know that the way they behaved was unacceptable. However, they were not making conscious decisions while under the influence.

Research conducted in 2007 by the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) concluded that only 24% of alcoholics actually received treatment, meaning that 19 million alcoholics went untreated. A research study on barriers to treatment for alcoholism published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol concluded that "being to embarrassed to tell anyone" was a factor in preventing alcoholics from seeking help. Therefore, the social stigma about "being" an alcoholic has been shown to impede treatment and therefore, in the end benefits no one.

www.highfunctioningalcoholic.com

Anonymity in AA is good in some cases I guess, but in the long haul of sobriety you can't hide it. In my opinion this would jeopardize my sobriety. Besides, everyone in my family and all my friends with and without drinking and drugging problems knew me to well. I guess I could have moved out of town altogether but this would be like running from the problem which doesn't work.

I have been very open about my sobriety from the beginning. I go out of my way if need be to let anyone know I'm a "Grateful Recovering Alcoholic" and God willing, always will be! If you can't be open about your addiction then maybe at some point you will try hiding it...again, or is this why you want to hide it now? Gee, maybe I'm on to something here. Think about it?

I had a split second brain-siege in Texas on Friday. I was in a store looking for a bottle of water and right there it was, cold beer and plenty of it. I thought, wonder what it tastes like, Grabbed my bottle of water and was gone just as quick as the thought was. Of course after years of sobriety it does get much easier.

Every true friend in my life still tells me how much better they like me sober. Even I like me better. In fact, what got me in my third rehab was me waking one morning, looking in the mirror and saying, I hate what I see. At this point I realized I didn't like myself anymore. Guaranteed, you will have a problem if you don't like yourself and don't try to deal with it!

This article is spot on. The problem wiuth anonymity is that you don't get support from colleagues, etc..and that's dangerous. Also, you feel shame for your condition.
As for stigmatization, whoever wrote that is naive in the extreme. First, in youth there is no such stigma. To the contrary, one is stigmatized if one does not go along and drink like a fool.
Second, the writer is obviously entirely unfamiliar with real alcoholism. Alcoholics drink because they can't not drink.
We label and stigmatize folks with all forms of mental disease --judging them as though they chose to have their disease. it's morally indefensible and manifestly counterproductive to society. If people helped alcoholics instread of stigmatizing them, they'd have a better chance at sobriety--at great benefit to society.
Also, we know that alcoholism is at least in part genetic and is much more highly probable in individuals who were children of alcoholics, were neglected, abandoned or abused.
So, society ought to stigmatize these poor folks for their misfortune? Oh, the hubris and arrogance of the academic "healthy," awash in supposed superiority. When you get your diabetes/cancer/obesity/heart disease, I shall do my best not to stigmatize and label you, for no one, even one as insensitive and clueless as you deserves to be mistreated that way...

Nice article. You can't blame those people who are alcoholic to hide their status because for them its no use to share their condition because they think those people can not help them or they don't want to be stop.

Nice article. Its really hard to tell to others that you are an alcoholic person that is why some prefer to hide it out.

I completely agree that you cannot blame alcoholics from hiding their being alcoholic from others. I am really talking about those who are sober alcoholics and the fact that they still feel shame around being alcoholic even though they are getting help. There is still a huge stigma that is associated with being an alcoholic (sober or active) and in some cases it can prevent alcoholics from asking for help for fear of other's judgements.

I am a recovering (6 years sober) high-functioning alcoholic, as was my father. Although the term is one I've used myself, I'm so glad to hear about your book and the awareness it will create. I didn't get sober until I almost killed myself with alcohol but to the outside world I was a good employee, a good student, a good mother and wife, and an active volunteer in my community. One of the best things about my sobriety is the release from striving for perfection.

Thank you for your posting and encouragement in terms of increasing awareness about this issue. Congratulations on your sobriety. Your story is an example of the double life that high-functioning alcoholics lead and how things can look "perfect" on the outside, but internally they are struggling.

The people that P.R'ed their sobriety in early A.A. usually returned to drinking. Since, the Steps and Traditions were written after much tweaking they were based on the group's personal research. The reason for being Anonymous has nothing to do with the stigma of Alcoholism [see below]
Being Anonymous does not have anything to do with telling anyone you personally want to tell about your alcoholism.
Being Anonymous has everything to do with anonymity at the level of Press, TV, and Radio and in my opinion telling anyone about someone else's alcoholism.
So, writing a book about Alcoholics is OK- talking about yourself in recovery is OK but, talking about yourself in A.A. at the level of Press, Radio, TV is not OK.
That is why I am glad when treatment centers PR alcoholism in a way that does not violate the AA traditions but, lets the public know there are solutions.

Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine.

Thanks,
shrink labels