Adferiad Recovery launches “Only Human” campaign to tackle the stigma associated with addiction

Adferiad Recovery is delighted to announce that this summer they will be launching their “Only Human” campaign which aims to tackle the stigma associated with addiction. Led by individuals with lived experience of addiction, “Only Human” will encourage people to question what they think they know about addiction and those who experience it.

Stigma is the negative labelling of certain individuals, groups, qualities or circumstances which results in widespread derisive attitudes towards them, and addiction is a quality which is highly stigmatized in modern society.

Adferiad Recovery is committed to actively campaigning for improvements in services, legislation, system change and public opinion for the benefit of our beneficiaries and that’s why this year they’re launching their “Only Human” campaign.

The key aims of the campaign are to tackle the stigma associated with addiction, to give a voice to those with lived experience of addiction and to celebrate and promote recovery.

The campaign is being led by a panel of individuals with lived experience of addiction who know first-hand how stigma affects those experiencing addiction and want to share their experience, knowledge and views on this important issue. Panel member, Yaina Samuels who works for Adferiad Recovery as a Project Development Officer in Cardiff, said: “The social stigma associated with addiction is recovery’s greatest enemy. I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to be an addict, however I can say that my 15 years spent in active addiction were seriously prolonged because society made me feel even more worthless than I already felt at that time.

“Addiction is not a personal choice, it’s a public health issue that urgently needs to be addressed.”

Welsh actor and Company Director of Grand Ambition in Swansea, Richard Mylan, who is also a member of the panel, said: “Addiction itself can rob you of ambition, of opportunity. The stigma around addiction means that you are generally denied the chance of reconnecting with your ambition and opportunity, because stigma almost brands you for life as unworthy, untrustworthy, underserving of opportunity, of wanting to progress.

“It’s why I’ve never spoken about it publicly before. Stigma is the root cause of a distinct societal lack of empathy and understanding. We have to challenge that. If we shift the stigma, we shift recovery towards more meaningful, prosperous outcomes that reconnect people more to who they really are.”

Adferiad Recovery’s Chief Executive, Alun Thomas, said: “Almost all of us know someone who has experienced an addiction problem, and so it is important to ensure that those experiencing addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, or any other harmful behaviour receive the help that they need to recover.

“Through our campaign we want to show society that we’re all only human, and addiction doesn’t define us. At Adferiad Recovery, we are in a privileged position to be able to bring the issue of stigma associated with addiction into the public eye and provide a platform for those with lived experience of addiction and recovery to share their stories, helping to promote social empathy for those struggling with addiction.”

Throughout the summer Adferiad Recovery’s local teams will be hosting a variety of events across Wales, plus one in Lancashire, providing people with opportunities to engage with the campaign. The campaign will kick off in Neath Port Talbot on the 11^th of May and conclude with Adferiad’s annual Mental Health Day event at the Senedd in Cardiff on the 13^th of October.

To learn more about the campaign, CLICK HERE!