Stigmas – Barriers to Addiction Treatment The recovery industry is teeming with labels and stigmas.  How many slang terms for “drug addict” can you think of?  Webster’s defines stigma as “a mark of shame or discredit.”  Modern culture uses labels to denote devalued categories of people.  Labels are founded in fear and, unfortunately, they influence public perception.  They often rob people from the dignity they might otherwise receive.  Stigmas are a barrier to addiction treatment due to the shame around having a substance use disorder.  Most of us are generally unaware that our own biases perpetuate the labels we place…