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Sociolinguistics of Addiction


Overview

Originally Published: 12/23/2016

Post Date: 12/23/2016

by Tim Cheney


Summary/Abstract

Tim Cheney of Chooper's Guide, The Choopers Foundation and Grace Street Recovery services discusses the sociolinguistics of addiction and how treatment and other social institutions and organizations use language that promulgates mental health and substance use disorders as deviant behavior. 

Content

"Once you label me you negate me." - Soren Kierkegaard

Lately I have been writing and talking and sometimes even ranting about the socio-linguistics of addiction and how treatment and other social institutions and organizations use language that promulgates mental health and substance use disorders as deviant behavior. This rant was delivered under the pretext of a seminar at the Cape Cod Symposium for Addictive Disorders in September of 2016. The video of the presentaion was captured via iPhone by Adrian Hooper my business partner. Unfortunately, the battery died before the finish line however I believe you will catch the drift.

When I was a child I was mistakenly informed that "sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you". This is one of the great lies that have permeated our culture for generations and have caused and continue to cause needless suffering and dislocation.

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