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Glossary

Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.

Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.

Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.

Addiction is a chronic, common, and often relapsing disease that is treatable. Individuals with addiction use substances and / or engage in behaviors that may start as a voluntary act, but over time become compulsive and then continue despite the consequences.

Instead Of: Try Using: Because:
Addict, Junkie, Druggie Person with Substance Use Disorder Over time the word “addict” has become a stereotype that carries negative connotations, by using person-first language and referring to the name of the diagnosis, we give the person their identity.
Drug Abuser Drug User/Person Who Uses Drugs or abbreviation (PWUD) Person-first language ensures the person is not identified as their diagnosis, rather a whole person who has a diagnosis. The word “abuse” has carried negative stigma, implying that the person deserves to be criminalized rather than given treatment.
Clean/Dirty In-Recovery/In Active Use Clean & dirty implies that using or not using a substance would make them “dirty” or “clean”. In reality drug use does not determine if someone is clean/dirty, they are people regardless.
Alcoholic Person with Alcohol Use Disorder Person-first language
Dirty/Clean Drug Test Results Negative or Positive It’s important that we refer to drug screen testing exactly as it is. A drug screen cannot be clean or dirty, it’s either negative or positive. We never want to refer to someone as dirty, which can affect their mental health severely.
Habit Substance Use Disorder Using the term “habit” may undermine the severity of the diagnosis.
Addicted Baby Baby with neonatal opioid withdrawal/neonatal abstinence syndrome or baby born to mother who uses drugs Newborn babies cannot have substance use disorder, they are simply born with symptoms of withdrawal. Using person-first language minimizes harm.
Words Matter: Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

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