The company I work for just acquired a major drug rehab group as a client, and I was hired on to be a part of their writing team. As we are writing our articles and such one of the problems we have discovered we are running into is what we are calling the people who are within, and/or recent graduates of, the facility. No one on staff personally knows anyone who has gone through the recovery process so we don’t have anyone we can really ask, so I thought I’d make a thread here.
It’s easy just to keep saying “addict” and “recovering addict” but I think that sounds a bit…harsh. Because of this I mostly go with “recovering individual” or “patients” as much as possible but, again, I just don’t know.
Can anyone shed any light on what recovering addicts prefer to be called when being referenced? Is “recovering addict” ok? Recovering individual? Former user?
I’ve never been a drug addict but I’d prefer to be called Bob, if my name was Bob that is. However if you subscribe to the AA, never been to AA either so I could have this wrong, philosophy I suppose you could just call them addicts.
I would say “alumni”. Seeing as how these people have gained a skill (staying sober) that they didn’t have when they first went in for recovery that seems appropriate.
Just because they graduated does not mean they are in recovery. If you know thy are in recovery then recovering addict or alcoholic should be fine to reference them. Otherwise simply calling them graduates might be more accurate.
Technically, I am a ‘former’ alcoholic - I used it for sleep and was appalled to discover a physical dependency. Anyone who wants to identify me as a (insert label here) will not be viewed kindly.
Thise who self-identify as ‘recovering alcoholic’ are the most obnoxious people I know.
p.s. - it is quite easy for some “former alcoholics” to have a beer with their pizza or wine with their lunch.
It is even possible to go out drinking with the gang. I have a bit of vodka in the pantry. I has been there since 2009.
Although if you do go with that, hopefully some wacky Larry David-esque misunderstanding will ensue. Such as the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry is hyped about meeting a “survivor”, who of course he believes to be a Holocaust survivor, and turns out to be a former contestant on the game show Survivor.
Why don’t you just ask your client how it refers to that group of people. Some prefer “patients,” some “clients,” in-patient facilities talk about “residents” and so on.
My husband who has been free of his addiction for 15 years, agrees with “recovering addict”. He shares Qadgop the Mercotan’s view that he won’t be fully “recovered” in this lifetime. Ever vigilant.
As an alcoholic now sober 29 years, I’d anticipate “alcoholic” or perhaps the misleading “recovering/recovered alcoholic”. I wouldn’t take any offense at language referring collectively to a group of us.
