Posts by Renae Muscatell

2023 Turkey Partners

AIO Food & Energy Assistance	1A Gordon Drive, Rockland, Maine 04841
Bangor Housing	161 Davis Road, Bangor, Maine 04401
The BARN	142 Center St., Brewer, ME
Blue cross food cupboard	4895 Bennoch Road, LaGrange, Maine 04453
Brighter Heights	760 Union St. Ste A, Bangor, Maine 04401
Burlington Food Pantry	1510 Long Ridge Rd, Burlington, Maine 04417
CORINNA UMC FOOD PANTRY	P.O. Box 373, CORINNA, Maine 04928
Northern Light – Lafayette Family Cancer Institute	33 Whiting Hill Rd, Brewer, ME
Dover Foxcroft Area Food Center	76 North Street, Dover Foxcroft, Maine 04426
Dyer’s Hope House	17 Park St, P O Box 334, Milo, Maine 04463
Ella P. Burr RSU 67	23 Ella P. Burr Street
First Hope Church	614 Finson Rd, Bangor, Maine
Friendship- Cushing Food Pantry	Cushing Road, Friendship, Maine 04547
Gateway Community Food Bank	363 Moosehead Trail, Newport, Maine 04953
H.O.M.E. Inc. Orland  food bank	90 Schoolhouse Rd. Po Box 10, Orland, Maine 04472
Hampden Neighborhood Food Cupboard	101 Main Road North, P.O. Box 9, Hampden, Maine 04444
Harvest Chapel (Samaritan Inc.) -Open Tuesdays	3531 Union St. Levant ME, 04456
Health Equity Alliance	304 Hancock St, Suite 3B, Bangor, Maine 04401-6573
Hermon Baptist	2496 RT 2 Hermon Samaritan Inc.
Hudson Baptist Church (Samaritan Inc) – Open Thursday	2328 Hudson Rd. Hudson, ME
Lincoln Regional food-cupboard	32 Park Ave., Lincoln, Maine 04457
Manna, inc	95 Center St, Bangor, Maine 04444
Neighbors Supporting Neighbor’s Food Pantry	3026 Rt 2, Hermon, Maine 04401
Newburgh Regional Community Food Pantry	31 CARMEL RD. S., HAMPDEN, Maine 04444
Oasis Food Pantry	72 Laskey Lane, Hampden, Maine 04444
Northern Light Acadia	Bangor, ME
OHI Brewer Area Food Pantry	222 N Main St., Brewer, Maine 04412
Penquis Whole Families and CSBG Case Management	262 Harlow St, Bangor, Maine 04401
PCHC -Case Management	1 Ammo Industrial Park Road
River City Church (Samaritan Inc) – Open Wed.	146 Center St Bangor, ME 04401
Samaritan, Inc.	220 GARLAND ST, BANGOR, Maine 04401-5539
The Salvation Army	65 South Park St. Bangor, ME
St. Ann’s/Penobscot Food Pantry	St. Ann’s/Penobscot Food Pantry, 4 Down Street, Indian Island, Maine 04468
The Rock Church (Samaritan Inc) -Open Sat.	1195 Ohio St, Bangor, Maine 04401
Tri-Town Baptist Food Pantry	8 Cone St, East Millinocket, Maine 04430
Tri-Town Food Cupboard	P.O Box 68, 9 Hubbard Ave, Hartland, Maine 04943
UU Sangerville Food Cupboard	Sangerville, ME
Wings for Children and Families, Inc	900 Hammond Street, Suite 915, Bangor, Maine 04401
Zion Pentecostal Food Pantry	249 Medway Rd, Mattawamkeag, Maine 04459

AIO Food & Energy Assistance – Rockland

Bangor Housing- Bangor

Blue Cross Food Cupboard – Lagrange

Brighter Heights- Bangor

Burlington Food Pantry – Burlington

CORINNA UMC FOOD PANTRY – Corinna

Dover Foxcroft Area Food Center – Dover -Foxcroft

Dyer’s Hope House – Dover Foxcroft

First Hope Church – Finson Rd. Bangor

Friendship- Cushing Food Pantry

Gateway Community Food Bank – Newport

H.O.M.E. Inc. -Orland

Hampden Neighborhood Food Cupboard- Hampden

Harvest Chapel (Samaritan Inc.) -Open Tuesdays – Levant

Health Equity Alliance – Bangor

Hermon Baptist – Hermon

Hudson Baptist Church (Samaritan Inc) – Hudson -Open Thursday

Lincoln Regional Food Cupboard- Lincoln

Manna, inc, Bangor

Neighbors Supporting Neighbor’s Food Pantry – Hermon

Newburgh Regional Community Food Pantry – Hampden

Oasis Food Pantry -Hampden

OHI Brewer Area Food Pantry- Brewer

Penquis Whole Families and CSBG Case Management – Bangor

River City Church (Samaritan Inc) – Open Wed. – Bangor

Food and Medicine

St. Ann’s/Penobscot Food Pantry – Penobscot Nation

The Rock Church (Samaritan Inc) – Bangor Open Sat.

Tri Town Baptist Food Pantry- East Millinocket

Tri-Town Food Cupboard – Hartland

UU Sangerville Food Cupboard- Sangerville

Wings for Children and Families, Inc – Bangor

Zion Pentecostal Food Pantry – Mattawamkeag

Two years ago I was assigned to a subcommittee tasked with raising awareness of stigma around substance use disorder in our community. I was nervous because it was outside of my field. I have a background in marketing and public relations, not in substance use. I was at the table with people who were primarily from the medical field or treatment and recovery. I didn’t feel comfortable contributing to the conversation for fear I would unintentionally  say something wrong. I knew things had progressed with the science of addiction medicine, as had the terms, but I didn’t know exactly what was correct or incorrect.

Before these meetings I hadn’t taken the opportunity to examine certain language or statements, for example, “babies born addicted.” I had never really questioned

this phrase before, but given the opportunity to evaluate its meaning, I realized how inaccurate it was. Of course babies aren’t born addicted, and such terms create stigma. Babies can’t develop addiction. Addiction is a disorder characterized by pathologically pursuing reward or relief through the use of substances. The American Society of Addiction Medicine describes it as “inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response.” None of these things are possible in a baby. When people talk about babies who are “born addicted” they are actually referring to neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), or the symptoms presented by infants who were exposed to drugs in the womb.

The lessons became more personal. I had received the disappointing news that a good friend of mine, who had abstained from drug and alcohol use for over 11 years, was actively using again. I came home discouraged and said to my sister, “I don’t understand, he had been ‘clean’ for 11 years.” My sister, who works in public health and has experience with substance use prevention programs, in her kind and nonjudgmental way, said, “so, he’s DIRTY now?” Well, when she put it that way, I understood what a terrible term that was and how it was loaded with stigma. The language we use really does matter.

For many of us outside the medical field or treatment and recovery world, we may not have had the opportunity to pause from our busy lives to learn destigmatizing words and phrases. We may want to join the conversation because we have loved ones, friends and neighbors we care about battling substance use disorder. We might want to be a part of the solution, but are unsure of the correct terms; even in the treatment and recovery world there are differences of opinions over the language to use.

It can be intimidating to join the conversation, but it is important that we do, and that people help us learn along the way, because stigma erodes confidence that substance abuse disorder is a valid and treatable health condition. It can lead people to avoid socializing, employing, or working with persons who have substance-related problems or histories. It can make us accept certain types of addiction more than others. It can even lead us to believe a person is sometimes beyond help. We can consciously and even subconsciously have assumptions that those struggling with substance use disorders are immoral, weak or even sinful. This is what stigma looks and sounds like.

Together, we can reduce stigma by using language that more accurately describes the chronic brain disease of addiction. Let’s stop stigma against those who are impacted by this complex condition, a brain disease, substance use disorder! To end stigma for any subject, it helps to be kind to one another, assume right intentions, and gently educate people along the way if other so know the correct language.

Here is a chart of “preferred terminology” in reducing the stigma associated with addiction that I found helpful.

Words to avoid                                                             Words to use

Addict                                                                          Person with substance use disorder

Alcoholic                                                                     Person with alcohol use disorder

Drug problem, drug habit                                       Substance use disorder

Drug abuse                                                                 Drug misuse, harmful use

Drug abuser                                                               Person with substance use disorder

Clean                                                                           Abstinent, not actively using

Dirty                                                                            Actively using

A clean drug screen                                                   Negative for substance use

A dirty drug screen                                                     Testing positive for substance use

Former/reformed addict/alcoholic                            Person in recovery, person in long-term recovery

Opioid replacement, methadone maintenance         Medication assisted treatment

Drug-addicted babies                                                 Infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome