Considerations for substance-use disorder language: cultivating a shift from 'addicts in recovery' to 'people who thrive'.

Abstract

As conceptualizations of substance-use disorders (SUDs) have changed, so too has the language used to describe these shifting views. Numerous words and phrases have fallen in and out of vogue as understandings of SUD etiology and treatment have emerged, then receded. In the United States, an historical language persists among health professionals and in society. We consider the role language plays in the SUD treatment field and how the language and concepts the words convey keep individuals from growing through and past the SUD. We argue that a new understanding calls for a shift in language among providers of SUD care in which the culture of SUD treatment begins to emphasize 'thriving' rather than 'recovery' from SUDs.