San Diego Sober Living - Recovery

Is the Stigma Surrounding Addiction & Substance Abuse Greater for Men?

In November 2023, two developments in the world of Hollywood celebrities dealing with the stigma of alcoholism made news headlines. Actress Jessica Simpson celebrated six years of sobriety with an Instagram post that discussed how she felt labeled and stigmatized by many people, from fans to business associates and relatives. 

During the same week, mental health researchers published articles praising the work of the late Friends star Matthew Perry, who’s remembered for steering Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and having sponsored many individuals who struggled with stigma just like he did. According to one of the researchers, Professor Allison Bauer of Northeastern University, Perry’s complicated recovery helped him understand why men face more stigma than women when they fall into alcoholism, and this understanding moved him to directly address this issue.

Understanding the Stigma of Alcoholism

Professor Bauer suggests the stigma attached to alcoholism stems largely from a societal insistence on misdiagnosing substance abuse in general. People don’t look forward to becoming alcoholics. Nonetheless, it seems as if large segments of societies around the world are always prepared to say that individuals choose to be addicted. 

To a certain extent, this can be explained by the strange aversion to recognizing alcoholism as a complex disease that sometimes requires multiple treatment strategies. Rationally speaking, alcoholics shouldn’t be stigmatized for the same reason cancer patients shouldn’t be stigmatized. Unfortunately, society easily adapts to the misguided groupthink of ostracism, shaming, and scarlet letter policies.

The Interplay between Alcoholism & Masculinity

The traditional views of men as being the stronger and less emotionally affected gender can make admitting to addictions feel like a weakness, thus making men less likely to seek help. Here we can see the irrational machinations of the stigma creating a conundrum in which men are seen as weak if they fall into alcoholism, but they’re also viewed as weak if they try to recover from it. 

Then we have heavy drinking as an activity that’s part of “being a man.” Men are supposed to chug pitchers of beer, while ladies are expected to have no more than a glass of wine or a cocktail. Therefore, men end up increasing their risk of chemical dependency.

What Research Shows about Gender & Substance Abuse

In the United States, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that men show higher rates of risky and problematic intake of alcoholic beverages than women. However, men show greater resilience in the sense that they tend to live with alcohol use disorder longer than women. A 2006 research study from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that women find it easier to shed stigma while they’re in treatment, but the opposite happens for men because many continue to be haunted by the thought of being weak.

Learning to Cope with Stigma

Regardless of gender, stigma discourages people from seeking treatment. Such discouragement can have serious consequences for their health and wellbeing. The societal aspect of stigma means it will never go away by itself, so alcoholics, particularly men, must not allow it to consume them. 

This can be accomplished through various treatment strategies, and one of them may include staying at an Encinitas sober living home for men. This gender-specific strategy addresses stigma through group therapy and individual counseling that deals directly with handling societal pressures related to masculinity. 

If you or someone you love is addicted to alcohol or drugs and needs help, call on the compassionate team at Casa Pacifica. Along with providing Encinitas sober living housing for men, we work with our individual residents to develop customized plans that integrate treatment, aftercare, and recovery support. Our services include sober companionship, coaching, and mentorship for those who are recovering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. For more information about our sober living facilities, call us today.