Why me? is a question often asked by someone with substance use disorder. It is a relevant question for me, Debbie Hemphill, a student at National University, as you see, I am a person with this disorder. My life’s journey, so far, has taken twists and turns complicated by this disorder. One of those twist and turns is graduating from college later in life. And, even though, it has taken me a while, I am finally graduating with a major in Strategic Communication and a minor in Social Change.
My academic journey has included being a member of the inaugural cohort of National University’s Honors Fellow for Social Change program. This program is a rigorous course of study that includes arts and sciences. Through this program, I have examined issues such as the social construction of stigma for people with substance use disorders and mental health disorders. Researchers and clinicians have studied this issue for a long time, with intense debate about whether substance use disorder is a moral versus a medical issue. My project will discuss this and include a literature review of the current research on the effects of stigma.
The goal of this website is to introduce my project to you, provide insight about how stigma and deviance, first, is socially constructed, and second, is a barrier to treatment for people with substance use disorder. This is important because biased language used to describe highly-stigmatized health conditions such as substance use and mental health disorders are barriers to help seeking and a return to health, in other words, people who need help do not reach out because of shame and embarrassement. Language often perpetuates stigma that began to develop in the early 1900s when laws created a narrative of deviance.
Farah S Williams, my daughter
April 3, 1976-February 4, 2014
My perspective is unique because this stigma has personally effected me, my family, and my daughter, Farah. As a person living in life-long recovery, I am involved in Twelve Step Fellowships, sponsor other women seeking recovery, and regularly speak to those who are seeking a new way to live. I witness stigma every day. I hope my perspective which is informed by my professional and personal work, is useful to others as we explore the importance of choosing words carefully.
I work in the field of behavioral health as a consultant for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Publishing Division. During the beautiful summers in the Midwest, I spend a lot of time on the golf course; I like to refer to golf as my walking meditation.
I am also a loss-survivor of a daughter who died by way of suicide. She is a reason for my passion. I want to honor her and others by working toward reducing stigma by promoting language that elevates and leads to healing.