The subtle stigma that erodes people’s right to health

The team at Phoenix Futures discusses the current focus on stigmatising language.

Photo by Jeremy Yap on Unsplash

Quite rightly there is a current focus on stigmatising language. Use of language frames the way we think. Non-judgemental, people-first language is important to reduce stigma but it is equally important that we consider the subtle use of language that disempowers, judges and marginalises the people who use our services.

These are some of the common arguments we hear to justify the de-funding of residential services:

There is no demand for rehab

We frequently hear the reason for reduced detox and rehab access is that people don’t want it. This simply isn’t true. We frequently speak to people desperate for rehab, we are told they have had to ‘fight’ and ‘beg’ to even be considered for a placement. We know the lack of demand is due to lack of awareness, and that is understandable – why would frontline treatment staff make people aware of a treatment option that isn’t funded?

Read the full blog post here.

 


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We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector.

This content was created by Phoenix Futures

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