About Us
WHO WE ARE
STOP STIGMA NOW (SSN) was formed in 2007 by professionals with years of experience in opioid addiction treatment or research, and includes people with lived experience and their families, now with representation from 22 U.S. states and five countries.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We are dedicated to ending negative attitudes, misunderstanding and discrimination against life-saving medication treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Due to ‘Medication Stigma,’ ineffective treatment is the norm. Most U.S. residential treatment providers limit or prohibit access to medications for OUD, and many or most recovery residences do the same.We are all ethically bound to offer services most likely to be effective for the great majority of those with OUD. This means medication as the foundation of treatment, and often of recovery. Psychosocial services (counseling) should always be available, but are ineffective for the great majority with OUD unless used with medication. For those with moderate to severe OUD we need a ‘Medication First’ approach for those who choose this (which is not ‘Medication Only’). OUD is unique among substance use disorders in that medications are the primary effective treatment for the great majority of those affected.Those seeking treatment for OUD have a right to accurate information about all approved treatment options. SSN is respectful of each individual’s right to make their own informed choices.
WHAT WE DO
SSN fights to ensure that society – finally – stops promoting ineffective treatment for OUD. We prevent unnecessary suffering and death by reducing the stigma, misunderstanding and discrimination that limits access to our most effective treatments: medications for OUD, including the first-line medicationsmethadone and buprenorphine, as well as injectable naltrexone as an important option.SSN disseminates clear and accurate print, video and social resources on the scientific consensus for the primary role of medications for OUD. We do this through presentations, advocacy, exhibits at professional conferences, and open dialog with treatment, recovery and health providers, policy makers, criminal legal professionals, and the public, including those who use opioids and their families. For a unique collection of video stories of people with lived experience, visit www.stopstigmanow.org. We reduce the greatest barrier preventing people with OUD from understanding and accessing our most effective, life-saving treatments.Please consider supporting SSN with a donation of any amount, or become a member as an individual or agency. We are volunteer-run and depend on individual contributions to continue our work.Stop Stigma Now is an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization. ere
STOP STIGMA NOW MISSION STATEMENT:
We are a public information group of dedicated drug treatment professionals determined to eliminate the stigma against medication treatment for opioid use disorder which negatively impacts anyone taking methadone and other medications used to treat opioid use disorder.Our mission is to inform the general public, the court systems, medical, nursing and counseling professions, public officials and the media about the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the success of medication treatment for opioid use disorder.We must eliminate the stigma which undermines the efficacy of medication treatment for opioid use disorder.
“Higher doses of methadone are associated with better retention in treatment, less heroin use during treatment and lower withdrawal symptoms . . . Studies suggest that longer time in treatment is associated with better outcomes and that the risk of relapse greatly increases after medication discontinuation . . .
It is also important to know which patients, when and under what circumstances can safely discontinue MOUD. Current evidence indicates that counseling or psychotherapy do not increase retention in buprenorphine treatment or improve abstinence rates (Timko 2016) (Cushman 1978) (Morgan 2018) (Nosyk 2012) (Sordo 2017) and that methadone treatment (Schwartz 2006) and buprenorphine without counseling is vastly superior to no treatment. (Simon 2017)”
Please consider supporting SSN with a donation of any amount, or become a member as an individual or agency. We are volunteer-run and depend on individual contributions to continue our work. Stop Stigma Now is an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization. www.stopstigmanow.org