- Addiction is a Medical Disease that affects the brain and and behavior. Genetics, past trauma, and life circumstances can increase someone’s likelihood of developing an addiction. The good news is that addiction is treatable. There are many life-saving medications, therapies and community supports in the Berkshires.
- Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a brain disease that causes overpowering urges to use opioids. Anyone can be affected, regardless of a person’s job, education, income, race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or gender.
- Some people are prescribed opioids like morphine, codeine, oxycodone or fentanyl. Others try street drugs like heroin and/or fentanyl. These all have a high potential for addiction. What may start as medicinal or recreational use can escalate. A person may continue to use opioids to avoid significant withdrawal symptoms, which can be prevented with medication.
- Recovery from OUD requires more than willpower. Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine and methadone, can help people with OUD manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. These treatments decrease overdose deaths by 50%, help people with OUD stay in recovery, and increase the likelihood of achieving long-term remission and recovery.
The transition from a highly controlled environment to community life can be overwhelming.
WHAT THEY’RE FEELING AND EXPERIENCING
REENTRY IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT.
- Feeling exhausted: They may be dealing with trauma and other mental health challenges, prefer small spaces, and have trouble sleeping. This makes it hard to keep appointments, maintain health care, and understand social cues.
- A heavy mind: Constant stress, lingering cravings, and past hurts can make open spaces and simple tasks feel overwhelming, like going to the store, taking a bus, or even waiting in line.
- Stigma and fear of alienation: Fear of being judged by neighbors, employers, or strangers can lead to chronic distrust of others, preventing people from seeking support, treatment, work or social connections.
- Safety risks: Changing drug supply, reduced tolerance and seeing people they used to use with can be triggering. It takes time to feel “normal” again.
FAMILY
TOOLKIT
Adjusting to independence after a period of incarceration is complex, especially when navigating substance use disorder. It’s a long-term journey that demands patience. Your support can be an anchor as your loved one navigates reentry. You’re not alone. This is your guide for supporting yourself and your loved one.
Ways to Communicate 
Language Matters
The words we use and the stories we tell are the first step to reduce stigma and save lives. People with substance use disorder (SUD) are not defined by their disease. Using clinically accurate, non-stigmatizing language reflects this reality, honors their dignity and supports their pathways to health and recovery.
INSTEAD OF:
Terms such as these blame the illness on the individual:
- Addict
- User
- Substance or drug abuser
- Alcoholic
- Drunk
- Former addict
- Reformed addict
- Junkie, crackhead, pill-popper, etc
USE:
Person-first language distinguishes the person
from the disease:
- Person with substance use disorder (SUD), with opioid use disorder (OUD), with alcohol use disorder (AUD), etc
- Person who uses/used substances
- Distinction from occasional use v. chronic or compulsive use
- Person with living/lived experience
- Person in recovery or long-term recovery
- Person in remission from SUD
- Person who previously used drugs
- Member of a recovery community
INSTEAD OF:
These terms can feel vague and morally judgmental, and negate the fact that SUD is a medical condition:
- Abuse (conflates with violence)
- Habit
- Misuse (when non-prescribed)
- Problem user
- Drinking/ drug problem
Terms like “suffers from” or “is a victim of” sensationalizes, rather than normalizes, the condition
USE:
For alcohol and non-prescribed drugs:
- Substance Use
- Riskier use/ Heavier use
- Non-medical use
- While “unhealthy use” is acceptable, it also implies there is “healthy use”
For prescription medications:
- Misuse
- Used other than prescribed
INSTEAD OF:
- Opioid substitution therapy
- Replacement therapy
- Methadone Maintenance Therapy
“Therapy” implies someone must be in mental health therapy to receive medication—while still recommended, this is no longer required
USE:
- Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) or substance use disorder
- Medication for addiction treatment (MAT)
- Addiction medication
- Pharmacotherapy
- Treatment
INSTEAD OF:
- In compliance
- Clean
- Non-compliant
- Dirty
Associates illness symptoms with filth; negates the person’s choice in making healthy decisions
USE:
- In remission or recovery
- Abstinent from alcohol/ drugs
- Not currently or actively using substances
- Opted not to engage with services
- Chose not to follow the treatment plan
- Continued or Resumed active use
For toxicology screen results:
- Testing negative
- Substance- free
- Testing positive
- Unexpected result
- Results are inconsistent with treatment
INSTEAD OF:
- Addicted baby
- Crack baby
- Born addicted
USE:
- Infants Prenatally Substance Exposed (IPSE)
- Preferred term over “Substance Exposed Newborns”
- Baby with signs of withdrawal from prenatal substance
exposure/ neonatal abstinence syndrome
Newborns are not medically capable of experiencing addiction, but may experience withdrawal symptoms
While some people in recovery find words like “addiction” or “alcoholic” stigmatizing, others prefer them. Others do not like being referred to as a “person with a disorder.” The above are guidelines, and it’s best to follow the individual’s lead and reflect back their preferred language.