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Breaking Down Barriers: Moving from “Us vs. Them” to “We” in Addiction Recovery

How Families Can Overcome the “Us vs. Them” Mentality and Foster Unity in Addiction Recovery

Timothy Harrington
4 min readOct 23, 2023
A diverse group of people standing in a circle, holding hands, symbolizing unity and togetherness. In the center, there’s a tree with leaves shaped like puzzle pieces, representing the interconnectedness

When a loved one is struggling with addiction, it’s easy for families to slip into an “us vs. them” mentality. Lines get drawn, boundaries established, bottom lines created. But this divide often does more harm than good on the road to recovery.

Rather than exclusion, persons with addiction need inclusion. They need a community of support, not abandonment. As family members and loved ones, how can we move from division to unity? From “us vs. them” to simply “we”?

The Danger of Labels

Labels like “addict” are convenient shortcuts, but they also carry stigma. They reduce someone to a single issue rather than recognizing their full humanity. Focusing too much on labels can make family members see their loved one as fundamentally different. But those who struggle with addiction are still the same people underneath.

Moving Past Stereotypes

Along with labels come stereotypes. Media portrayals of addiction often show the extreme: arrests, homelessness, reckless behavior. Your loved one likely does not match the…

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Timothy Harrington
Timothy Harrington

Written by Timothy Harrington

Champion of Family and Community Powered Change Related to Addiction, Mental and Emotional Health Challenges

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