Bryant shares how educating himself and those around him has helped reduce the stigma of blame.
Bryant's sister had a lot of questions about his substance use disorder (SUD). She often said, "Why don't you just stop?"
When Bryant began his recovery from SUD, she still asked that question: "Why didn't you just stop?" They couldn't seem to get to an understanding. Bryant encouraged his sister to learn about the science of addiction: what happens when a person uses a substance, how the brain reacts, and how substance use disorder works. The science tells us that a person with SUD doesn't using drugs to "feel good"; they use drugs to feel normal. Today, Bryant's sister works supporting people in recovery — people like Bryant. The knowledge she gained has had a positive impact on their relationship.
"We got to the point where we actually enjoyed hanging out," Bryant says. "We would go to movies together, I'd go over to her house, hang out with her kids. It was something that I never thought would happen. I've grown really close with my family."
Substance use disorder is a treatable medical condition. That knowledge can help us grow #TogetherToEndStigma, like Bryant and his sister.