Stigma kills people with alcohol addiction

By Ashwin Dhanda, Associate Professor of Hepatology, University of Plymouth

One of my patients, Emma (not her real name), recently told me that she didn’t seek help for her alcohol problem because she was ashamed. She said that she didn’t want to waste anyone’s time on a self-inflicted problem. She lived with it for years, hiding bottles of alcohol so her partner wouldn’t find out. Only when she turned yellow and vomited blood did she call an ambulance.

What stopped Emma from asking for help? The answer, in large part, is stigma. The word stigma comes from ancient Greek, meaning a mark of shame or disgrace. Originally used to label slaves and criminals, these…

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