Metaphors Like ‘Clean’ and ‘Dirty’ Can Undermine Addiction Recovery

Think of the words and phrases we use to describe drug and alcohol addiction: “clean and sober,” “addicts,” “junkies.” It’s a vocabulary loaded with moralistic connotations. This isn’t good, argue the authors of a new editorial in the journal Substance Abuse, because the use of those terms can inadvertently lay the blame solely on the behavior of the person with the drug or alcohol addiction. And when people struggling with addiction internalize that attitude, it can undermine recovery. 

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http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/how-language-can-undermine-addiction-recovery.html