Introduction
The problem of substance misuse has been a common concern in addressing mental health issues as a part of the public health management process. Apart from the challenges of constructing and applying a strategy for mitigating the addiction in patients, the recovery process is significantly complicated by the presence of social pressure. Wakeman and Rich explain that the phenomenon of addiction is heavily stigmatized in the modern community despite multiple awareness-raising programs (334). Therefore, discrimination remains one of the core factors shaping the lives of people with substance misuse issues attempting rehabilitation. When facing discrimination while being an addict in recovery, one is likely to experience severe distress and even emotional trauma, causing not only a relapse but also possible aversion to treatment, which means that addicts in recovery must be provided with consistent support.
Body
Due to the presence of social stigma, people addicted to substances are largely discriminated against in a range of contexts, ranging from social interactions to the workplace. The outcomes of the observed discrimination toward and ostracizing of people undergoing therapy in rehabilitation groups and receiving treatment against their substance misuse have been proven to have a deleterious effect. First, the mental health and overall well-being of patients with substance misuse issues are jeopardized heavily due to the presence of consistent suspicion and mistrust shown by others (Razali et al. 19). The attempts at excluding people with substance misuse problems from social interactions, as well as denying them employment opportunities and infringing upon other essential rights to which they are entitled, have also proven to affect the mental health of the specified vulnerable population in the first place (Kar et al. 2). The development of anxiety disorders and the increased threat of depression as the direct outcome of discrimination represent the most common responses in people with substance misuse problems toward discrimination (Kar et al. 2). Therefore, the lack of social justice toward the target population, as well as the absence of legal reinforcements allowing them to retain their rights, need to be amended accordingly. The described change must occur on two levels, namely, on social and institutional ones. From the legal perspective, policies prohibiting discrimination of people experiencing addiction yet being in recovery must be introduced into the current social context. However, most importantly, attitudes toward the specified demographic must be changed in order to provide the basis for active and successful healing.
Another possible outcome that the presence of continuous discrimination toward addicts in recovery is bound to cause involves a rise in the probability of a relapse in a patient. Research indicates that the lack of support toward people experiencing substance dependency becomes one of the leading causes of the failure of the therapy and the eventual return to the harmful behaviors that the patient exhibited prior to commencing the rehabilitation process (Razali et al. 19). Although in people with chemical substance dependency, namely, those tending to abuse drugs, other factors such as exposure to the social context in which the development of the dependency occurred, also plays a major role, continuous discrimination increases the threat of a relapse exponentially (Razali et al. 18). For instance, the paper by Razali et al. mentions that “Most studies in the West found the inclination to relapse as caused by a number of social environmental factors such as familial, friend, and societal support. The absence of social support makes it difficult for former addicts to socialise within their environment” (Razali et al. 17). Thus, implicit biases shape patients’ ability to overcome their craving for illicit substances while maintaining their mental health in check.
Being subjected to increased discrimination from community members, authorities, and organizations may convince people undergoing treatment due to their substance abuse to develop an aversion to the very idea of using professional assistance in managing their substance addiction. Research indicates that the propensity toward abandoning the proposed therapy and experiencing shame and doubt to the extent sufficient for avoiding any further treatment is highly probable in addicts that have been subjected to high levels of discrimination (Razali et al. 18). Therefore, continuing to support people that have been undergoing therapy to fight their drug addiction is a crucial part of assisting them in their recovery process. In turn, subjecting them to discrimination creates additional impediments to recovery and jeopardizes their progress tremendously.
Last but not least, in the worst-case scenario, the threat of developing suicidal ideations in addicts in recovery facing severe discrimination must be mentioned. Representing the final stage of depression caused by social rejection and continuous infringement upon one’s rights, suicide attempts become highly probable in addicts who have been experiencing significant social contempt and have been forced out of their community due to the stigma surrounding the issue of drug misuse (Razali et al. 17). For instance, the research by Arshanapally et al. mentions substance misuse as one of the key contributors to the risk of developing suicidal ideations: “Psychosocial risk factors that had been associated with suicidality in the literature, including depression, childhood maltreatment, substance use, conduct disorder” (587). Therefore, in order to maintain the mental and physical well-being of people with substance dependency in rehab in check, actions must be taken.
To prevent the described outcomes from taking place, one must minimize the extent to which addicts in recovery are exposed to discrimination. Specifically, active awareness campaigns must be carried out to build public health literacy concerning the needs of the specified demographic. Furthermore, a collaboration between social workers and family members must take place so that the latter can utilize appropriate strategies for supporting a patient. Finally, encouraging addicts in recovery to develop resilience toward instances of discrimination and focus on overcoming the challenges must be incorporated into the framework for addressing the issue. With the specified interventions, a positive change in the attitudes toward people recovering from substance misuse disorder can be expected.
Conclusion
Due to the high probability of emotional trauma and the likelihood of severe distress caused by being discriminated against, addicts in recovery are highly prone to abandoning their efforts at rehabilitation and, instead, tend to succumb to the established patterns of substance misuse, which necessitates complete support for the specified demographic, including both professional one and one provided by the community. Specifically, discrimination against addicts in recovery has proven to lead to further mental health issues, including anxiety disorder and depression, which force a patient with substance misuse issues to abandon therapy. Consequently, apart from the mental health disorders, a high possibility of a relapse and the ultimate failure of the treatment process ensues. For this reason, creating a robust support system for patients with substance misuse issues is vital.
Works Cited
Arshanapally, Suraj, et al. “The Association Between Racial Discrimination and Suicidality Among African-American Adolescents and Young Adults.” Archives of Suicide Research 22.4 (2018): 584-595.
Kar, Sujita Kumar, et al. “COVID-19 pandemic and addiction: Current problems and future concerns.” Asian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 51, 2020, pp. 1-3.
Razali, Asbah, Fauziah Ani, and Siti Nor Azhani Mohd Tohar. “The Relationship Between Social Support and Relapse Among Former Drug Addict.” Journal of Social Transformation and Regional Development, vol. 1, no. 2, 2019, pp. 16-23.
Wakeman, Sarah E., and Josiah D. Rich. “Barriers to Medications for Addiction Treatment: How Stigma Kills.” Substance Use & Misuse, vol. 53, no. 2, 2018, pp. 330-333.