Shine a Light on Stigma: Storytelling Series

To truly understand the breadth and reach of stigma, we recommend viewing the videos for the first four stories below in the order listed.

• The first video describes stigma from actual prior patients who were seen in emergency rooms.

• The second video challenges health care providers to end stigma using person-centered language.

• The third video offers perspective from a mother whose son died of an opioid overdose.

• Finally, the fourth video highlights the impact of opioid overdose death from a brother whose sister died of an overdose.

Ending the Stigma of Opioid Use Disorder – This video from the Opioid Response Network (ORN-STR) and American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) highlights the voices of patients who are living with OUD to help emergency medicine physicians reduce the stigma of OUD.

AHA’s Behavioral Health Resources on Combating Stigma – Nancy Howell Agee, CEO of Carilion Clinic, discusses stigma in health care settings and the negative impact it has on those with OUD and suggests ways to equip health care providers and staff with tools to understand stigma and its effects.

 The Shame, the Denial, the Stigma of Addiction – Justin Phillips, founder of Overdose Lifeline, provides her perspective on the harmful effects of shame and stigma in dealing with the loss of her son to opioid addiction. She shares her remorse at “not treating the chronic disease of addiction the same way we treat other chronic diseases.”

Breaking Down the Stigma of Addiction: A Witness’s Story Through Art – Artist and advocate William Stoehr shares his story of losing his sister to an opioid overdose. Painting a picture of hope, he reminds everyone there is support and that no one is alone. It also provides information about SAMHSA’s National Helpline for those with a SUD who need help or their loved ones who may be seeking support.

Additional videos from People in Recovery:

Real Stories from Real People: Overcoming Addiction – Real stories from 13 real people who have shared their personal accounts about dealing with prescription opioids.

#WorkInProgress | From addiction to the front lines of the opioid crisis – Skye Tikkanen tells her story about how she and other former heroin users are coaching overdose victims into recovery and creating new pathways back to work. Briefly discusses stigma.

JUST THINK TWICE (a series of written stories)

• Leigh Jones’s story  Short story about a young woman who reached recovery as a young adult and was able to graduate at the top of her class with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
• Katharine Stuart’s story  Short story about a young woman who grew up in an upper-middle-class home and became addicted to heroin and meth, but is in recovery through treatment.
• Michael Waggoner’s story Short story of a young man whose addiction to heroin took priority over everything in his life and “died” 15 times due to drug overdose. He went through multiple treatment attempts before “turning his life around” and is now a recovery coach.