Do you think that's a useful word in helping people recover from addiction? Interested in hearing people's points of view on this.
Interesting topic, Owen, I was considering creating a thread very similar in EADD.
Some people don't like the word "clean," because they feel that it implies that what they were doing, taking drugs, was dirty - and not everyone who had an addiction to one particular substance believes / wants to go the whole abstinence from all mind-altering substances route. Some people believe that you are "clean," if they give up their own drug of choice (DoC) and continuing to use others substances still makes them "clean," because they've remained abstinent from their DoC. Whereas other people believe that if a person is still using other substances, then they cannot be "clean." It would be interesting to look at the idea of people assuming that the word "clean" implies that drug-use was somehow dirty. Are people suggesting that or that the "addiction," was dirty, not in a stigmatising way - but more in a way as it eats away at the person slowly - at their mind, destroying things that matter to them, bit by bit, like the family, friends, relationships, career, health and so forth. So, in this respect the person becoming "clean" isn't an offense, an insult - but moreso a compliment - a form of achievement in that the person has overcome the battle of their life - against the enemy, against that one thing that is seducing them, luring them in and spitting them out - time and time again.
Another interesting question would thus have to be;
Are sobriety and being "clean" the same thing? Which is the more appropriate word to use and why. If one of these words are considered inappropriate, are people being over-sensitive or are we considering / respecting other people's values, needs, feelings or whatever.
Just my two pennies worth. OK I will stop rambling now.
Evey
