Photo by Marlon Lara on Unsplash
Stigma surrounding substance use disorders (SUD), including addictions, is a major barrier to people seeking treatment. Many healthcare providers can also consciously or unconsciously contribute to the stigma that people with SUDs may feel, including through the language they use, images, and how they treat their patients. Addictions are physiological states, not flaws in one’s character. While we seldom treat people with insulin-dependent diabetes with disdain, we are not as likely to try to rid ourselves of stigmatizing language or behaviors when working with people with SUDs. HealthCetera producer and host, Diana J. Mason, RN, talks with Beth Rutkowski, an Epidemiologist and Director of Training for the UCLA Integrated Substance Use and Addiction Programs, and Co-Director of the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, about the evidence confirming that stigma around SUD is prevalent and harmful, as well as how to help clinicians, family members, friends, healthcare providers, and even the people with SUDs themselves to reduce and eliminate stigma. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 8, 2026.
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