To make the Just Five education accessible to those who are visually impaired, the educational lessons have been reproduced as individual audio files which can be accessed on the Audio Lessons page.

Words Matter

Spoken words cannot be un-said, and they have the power to build up, or to destroy a person. When we choose to be compassionate, we become a part of the solution, giving an opportunity to others to be successful.

— Marissa, Lawyer, Mother, Friend, Person in Recovery

 

A note about language used by individuals in recovery

Every person, including those in recovery, has the right to self-label their disease however they prefer.  This language is common in peer-support environments. However, the general public or healthcare professionals should not use the same language.

Negative language impacts individuals with substance use disorder

 

Language dos and don'ts

To support recovery, we need to change the way we talk about addiction. How we speak has the power to change perceptions, improve addiction treatment, and fight unjust stigma.

Listen to Dr. Sarah Wakeman, a leading addiction expert, discuss the impact that stigmatized language has on treatment quality, and what language we should use instead.

How to talk about addiction

Hear Stories from Real People

Listen to experts, individuals and families talk about the impact of language and stigma on their treatment and recovery.

The U.S. Surgeon General on Why Stigma Matters

Audrey, an Individual in Recovery on How Language Affected Her

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