Jolene:
Addiction’s a really hard thing. I know there’s really – there’s conflict, right? People think that it’s a choice, whereas I think it’s more of a disease. It’s a fight for that person.
[music]
Intertitle
Stop Stigma. Save Lives. The impact of empathy.
Sheldon:
To walk a mile in an addict’s shoes would go a long way. And not so much as to walk in their shoes, but, you know, to be beside them or to know what they’re going through, and why they’re at that point in their life.
Jolene:
When people judge me for being a working girl, it hurts. They just take one look at me and I know exactly, you know, the reaction they get on their face is like: “Oh, gross” or “Oh, ew, look at her …she’s an addict,” or “she sells her body.” It hurts a lot, you know. I’m a good person. If they really got to know me, they’d really like me.
[music]
Intertitle
Stigma against people with addictions can sometimes do more damage than the addiction itself.
Jolene:
The way I’d like to be treated is with respect and dignity, and like a human being—like everybody else gets treated. Instead of, like, just looking at me and judging me for my addiction and my appearance, you know, and for being native.
Jeremy:
To be known as Jeremy, not “Jeremy the drug addict” or “Jeremy the thief” or whatever.
[music]
Intertitle
Simply treating people with respect and changing our language can help save lives.
Charlene:
When you see injustices, when you see things that aren’t right, when you see that people are being treated poorly. If you can make a change for the better for anybody, I think we owe that to our community members.
[music]
Intertitle
Stop Stigma. Save Lives. Learn more: northernhealth.ca/stigma
Jolene:
We’re all made to love and care for people. Why can’t we show everyone – everyone – that love and care?
