Dr. Sarah Wakeman

And sometimes it sounds like I'm being politically correct or it's like an issue of semantics, but there's actually really good data on this. So if you think about words we use for addiction, one is substance abuse, right? So the term abuse, what does abuse refer to? So it actually comes from an old English word that means like a willful act of misconduct.

And sometimes it sounds like I'm being politically correct or it's like an issue of semantics, but there's actually really good data on this. So if you think about words we use for addiction, one is substance abuse, right? So the term abuse, what does abuse refer to? So it actually comes from an old English word that means like a willful act of misconduct.

And it's a word that we use for child abuse, for sexual abuse, for domestic abuse. Like it's only for these like terribly violent acts of commission that are very stigmatized because they're like terrible things. And yet we use it for this thing that we're saying is a health condition, that you're like a substance abuser or you have substance abuse.

And it's a word that we use for child abuse, for sexual abuse, for domestic abuse. Like it's only for these like terribly violent acts of commission that are very stigmatized because they're like terrible things. And yet we use it for this thing that we're saying is a health condition, that you're like a substance abuser or you have substance abuse.

And so there have actually been these elegant studies that took like PhD level psychologists, really highly trained clinicians, and they described a person as either a substance abuser or as a person with a substance use disorder. And the clinician was actually more likely to recommend a punitive intervention for the person described as a substance abuser.

And so there have actually been these elegant studies that took like PhD level psychologists, really highly trained clinicians, and they described a person as either a substance abuser or as a person with a substance use disorder. And the clinician was actually more likely to recommend a punitive intervention for the person described as a substance abuser.

So in this case, they were given like an option. You read this paragraph about like a fictional patient, and they don't really know what the researchers are testing. And they're given a bunch of different options for intervention. And one is this like send them to drug court or send them to jail. One is like offer them, you know, outpatient effective treatment.

So in this case, they were given like an option. You read this paragraph about like a fictional patient, and they don't really know what the researchers are testing. And they're given a bunch of different options for intervention. And one is this like send them to drug court or send them to jail. One is like offer them, you know, outpatient effective treatment.

There's a bunch of different choices. When they hear someone described as a substance abuser, they're actually more likely to recommend the like jail-based intervention. So words actually like very, they influence how we think, even how we make clinical decisions. They've also done this to the public.

There's a bunch of different choices. When they hear someone described as a substance abuser, they're actually more likely to recommend the like jail-based intervention. So words actually like very, they influence how we think, even how we make clinical decisions. They've also done this to the public.

So if you describe someone as a drug addict, the public has a more negative view of them than if you describe them as a person with addiction. So there are these subtle ways there's been this shift in addiction to really using what we call person-first language, which has been true across medicine. So, like, we used to use terrible words.

So if you describe someone as a drug addict, the public has a more negative view of them than if you describe them as a person with addiction. So there are these subtle ways there's been this shift in addiction to really using what we call person-first language, which has been true across medicine. So, like, we used to use terrible words.

Like, we'd refer to someone as, like, the schizophrenic, you know, or really labeling them as their health condition. And thankfully, there's been a change from that to realize that people are people first who have an illness or not defined by it. So I would never say, like – I'm going to go see the lung cancer in room 204. I'd say, I'm going to see, you know, Mr. Smith who has lung cancer.

Like, we'd refer to someone as, like, the schizophrenic, you know, or really labeling them as their health condition. And thankfully, there's been a change from that to realize that people are people first who have an illness or not defined by it. So I would never say, like – I'm going to go see the lung cancer in room 204. I'd say, I'm going to see, you know, Mr. Smith who has lung cancer.

And so with addiction too, like people are more than that. So to say, you know, person with addiction, person with an alcohol use disorder, rather than saying they're an addict or an alcoholic. And then even terms like clean and dirty, which are commonly used when we talk about addiction. So, you know, take the word clean. It sounds really positive. Like you're saying, oh, you're clean.

And so with addiction too, like people are more than that. So to say, you know, person with addiction, person with an alcohol use disorder, rather than saying they're an addict or an alcoholic. And then even terms like clean and dirty, which are commonly used when we talk about addiction. So, you know, take the word clean. It sounds really positive. Like you're saying, oh, you're clean.

Like, what are you really saying? So you're saying, like, if you're clean now, when you were actively struggling, what were you? You were dirty. And so I always remember an example. A friend of mine who's in recovery was interviewing for jobs in the recovery space. And so people on the interview trail would say to him, like, how long have you been clean for?

Like, what are you really saying? So you're saying, like, if you're clean now, when you were actively struggling, what were you? You were dirty. And so I always remember an example. A friend of mine who's in recovery was interviewing for jobs in the recovery space. And so people on the interview trail would say to him, like, how long have you been clean for?

And he would say, well, I've been bathing since I was a newborn. So I've been clean my whole life. And I've been in recovery for five years or whatever. So I think these little things actually matter that we should use terminology that we'd use for another health condition.

And he would say, well, I've been bathing since I was a newborn. So I've been clean my whole life. And I've been in recovery for five years or whatever. So I think these little things actually matter that we should use terminology that we'd use for another health condition.