Search Results

Each year, thousands of people around the world receive a diagnosis of a chronic disease.  This diagnosis has become a major burden in many developed countries. The overview that the World Health Organization (WHO)  provides for them is that chronic diseases , also known as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) , tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic , physiological , environmental , and behavioral factors . The diagnosis of a chronic disease changes people’s lives in an instant.  The process of facing such a diagnosis is neither simple nor linear. Rebuilding after that  is not easy. Sometimes, in this situation and throughout the process, the patient may ask unanswered questions. This will cause them to have doubts and fears. This is when the role of non-profit organizations  can be of great help, since through interdisciplinary groups they provide services to guide the newly diagnosed in this process. A comprehensive psychological department  or mentoring service  can be very helpful in these early stages of diagnosis. The mentoring service  is very useful for recent diagnoses, but it can also be helpful at any stage of the process. This is provided by the figure of a mentor , a person who gives younger or less experienced individuals in NCDs concrete advice about the process. The mentor can be a volunteer  or an expert patient  who is adept at identifying some needs that are not considered or are only poorly considered by doctors and other healthcare professionals. A mentor  is a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time at any time during the process. The mentor is an important figure who will not give opinions about what the patients should do, but instead poses open questions  to the person seeking mentoring and may enable the mentee to reflect on actions they had not considered before. The mentor helps the patient make their own decisions with their advice and personal experiences. This process helps the mentee to increase self-confidence  that is sometimes lost when you have a chronic disease. The relationship between the mentor  and the mentee  must be based on trust  and confidentiality . A few examples of this program can be found in different non-profit organizations around the world or volunteer organizations, like AGDEM in Granada (Spain) , which works with multiple sclerosis patients. Good support through transversal teams , in which there are, for example, the figures of mentors and psychologists, is the key in recovery processes , inclusion , and empowerment  of newly diagnosed patients with chronic diseases. Only by working together can we have a more inclusive world .

The problem of stigmatisation of people with addictions Addictive disorders are highly stigmatised, and this stigmatisation has come more into focus in recent years. The stigma of substance addiction  has long been scientifically neglected. There are generally many incorrect stereotypes about people with addictions. However, there are also many situations in which they are true. For example, violence  and alcohol intoxication  are often closely linked. Even though, of course, not all people with an alcohol problem are violent. Substance dependence and consumption are often problematic, especially if you lose control and disregard social norms. Trivialising consumption and the resulting health and social problems cannot be a credible anti-stigma strategy. When people are ostracised  because of their addictions, this can be understood as a social stigma that addictive behaviour is not tolerated. The exclusion has a kind of educational purpose here; people with addiction problems are treated badly so that they feel the need to change their behaviour. Addiction problems  cannot be solved by stigmatisation. Ostracising people with addiction problems is not a solution for them and can actually exacerbate the problems. How can the stigma of addiction be reduced? Destigmatisation can only work if a better, alternative way of dealing with addiction is demonstrated. This means help  instead of marginalisation  and empowerment  instead of devaluation . Improvements in the help system play an important role. It is strongly criticised here that people are ‘labelled’ and discriminated against by a diagnosis, and that this sticks with them for the rest of their lives. For example, a former alcoholic  has to struggle with stigmatisation even after 10 years of abstinence. Diagnoses should not stick to people for life but should only accompany them for as long as they are useful to them. As long as people with addiction feel badly treated in this way, they will understandably avoid professional help if at all possible. Therefore, it is required that every training programme in the field of health and social sciences includes an ‘anti-stigma competence’ part. In order to promote an appropriate therapeutic attitude towards people with addictions at an early stage. It must be taught here that marginalisation and belittlement achieve the exact opposite of what is actually intended. As long as people with addiction feel badly treated in this way, they will understandably avoid professional help  if at all possible. Therefore, it is required that every training programme  in the field of health and social sciences includes an ‘ anti-stigma competence ’ part. In order to promote an appropriate therapeutic attitude  towards people with addictions at an early stage. It must be taught here that marginalisation  and belittlement  achieve the exact opposite of what is actually intended. “Anti-stigma competence”: a necessary step towards a more humane society In my view, ‘anti-stigma competence’  is very important for all people as a basis for dealing with each other and can have a great impact. People with addictions do not only have contact with people in the social and health sciences . Both the shop assistant  in the kiosk who sells the addict the bottle of vodka, for example, and the ordinary citizen  who walks past him while he takes a sip from it. Everyone should get an understanding and an insight into ‘the other side’, that of the addict. To show people how it feels for this person to be marginalised and sometimes treated and looked at inhumanely. We are all human beings , and everyone has their own individual story. No one has the right to pass judgement on the life of an addict if they are not aware of the person's background. Nevertheless, we are shaped by our experiences and have an image of the world through our childhood , among other things. Addiction  may or may not have played a role in our world view and family experiences. It is therefore in the nature of things that people react individually to addicts. The special added value of the “RECOVER” project The ‘Recover’ project  has a broad target group. This includes teachers , institutions with recovery programmes , those affected themselves who need and seek help in their recovery process, community organisations  such as self-help groups, the general public , and many more. Inclusivity and diversity  are key components of the project. For this reason, particular attention is paid to taking into account the individual needs  of all people. Targeted professional training  is provided to improve the skills of carers in dealing with those affected and to reflect on their own behaviour. The general support system  is strengthened and access to helpful resources  and materials for successful recovery is expanded. The aim is to reduce the relapse rate . The project builds a network  of different actors that contributes to a supportive environment for adults in recovery . By bringing together people from different areas who are pursuing the same overall goal, important challenges can be tackled and positive changes created. This project has a strong added value  and will make the world a little (big) bit better!