I saw Kevin from Recovery Allies yesterday. I went to the impressive, Equine Coaching ranch called One Neigh at a Time, and after second guessing Siri and David’s hand drawn map and getting lost (hey Siri, I know I didn’t turn where you told me to turn before, but am I supposed to be on a one lane dirt track?), I arrived in a cloud of dust. When I scrunched to a stop, and the grit settled, there was Kevin.
It reminded me that I haven’t really talked about my experience completing my CCAR Recovery Coach Training (other than to tell you to listen to what I have to say now, because I am bona fide). It was a great experience for me in a lot of aspects. The class pushed me way out of my touchy-feely, comfort zone. And one of my favorite aspects of the training was the focus on words. How our lexicon can either give us strength in recovery, or perpetuate stigma and objectification.
Mincing Words…
I’ve written about this before (Alcoholic or Person in Long Term Recovery? Oh Boy…), but it warrants another go-round. Being careful and informed about how you describe SUDs will halt the objectification of those of us in long term recovery.
- The term substance abuse is passé – it makes you seem (at best) uncool
- Any “ic“ or “ict” words will diminish and eventually cease, so start practicing calling yourself, “a person in long term recovery” and not an “addict”
- Using the term “alcoholic” of “addict” in some recovery cultures will continue as a means of “mutual identification”
- If you are like me, and use colorful words like “boozer” to describe yourself, think twice
- Even if you write a blog and seek words that are synonymous with drinker…
Sometimes it’s exhausting to mince words. It is not my nature to be cautious when it comes to expressing myself, but after my Recovery Coach Training, I am much more aware of the fact that when we talk about addiction publicly, we are also charged with eliminating the stigma of addiction.
I can follow these directions. I want to be part of the solution…
