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Despite all the progress we have made—breaking down barriers around race, gender, and mental health, substance use disorder (SUD Treatment) remains one of American society’s last accepted stigmas. Such stigma is hurting people and families.

When substance use disorders are treated as character flaws instead of medical conditions, people do not ask for help. Often, they are overcome with shame. It can delay or even prevent life-saving SUD treatment.

According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 43% of U.S. adults who needed substance use or mental health care did not receive such help in the past year. That is not a small number. That is a national crisis.

What Is SUD Treatment, and Why Is It Misunderstood?

SUD treatment is needed because substance use disorder is a chronic brain disease and not a lifestyle choice. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) agrees: SUD changes brain chemistry and behavior. Still, outdated beliefs frame addiction as a weakness. Moreover, SUD treatment is seen as something that only weak people need to access.

Even worse, people facing addiction are often mistreated. Even in healthcare settings, people with substance use disorders are treated like lepers. NIDA reports that negative bias and stereotyping push many to avoid seeking help altogether.

It is heartbreaking. And it is unnecessary.

Stigma Prevents Substance Use Disorder Treatment

People shake their heads and ask, ‘Why can’t he just stop?’ They look down at the ground and say, ‘Why does she keep relapsing?’

The emotional toll spreads to families, too. Additionally, friends back away. Communities go silent. That kind of isolation can be as painful as the addiction itself. In such cases, SUD treatment is not a choice, but a necessity.

TTC Offers Evidence-Based SUD Treatment

At Tarzana Treatment Centers, the clinical staff approaches SUD Treatment in a way that makes sense: with respect, expertise, and compassion.

TTC offers:

• Outpatient and residential care tailored to individual needs
• Integrated behavioral health services to treat co-occurring disorders
• MAT Services in the form of Medications for Addiction Treatment
• Support for families, because recovery is a team effort

Whether it is your first time seeking help or your fifth, TTC meets you where you are. There is no judgment, shame, or stigma. Instead, patients find support and evidence-based treatments that work in practice.

It is Time to End SUD Treatment Stigma Together

Substance use disorders are not shameful acts that need to be hidden from view. Instead, they are something to heal from—with support, not shame. Substance use disorder treatment should feel as normal as going to the doctor for a physical illness because it is.

Let the entire country stop whispering and gossiping about addiction. Instead, it is time to talk about recovery. And let TTC make sure that help is always within reach for you and your family.