Kelli Fox appears on ‘WGME’ in report about changing the way we talk about addiction

Kelli Fox, assistant clinical professor and director of Field Education in the School of Social Work
Kelli Fox, assistant clinical professor and director of Field Education in the School of Social Work

Experts on recovery in the Portland area are hoping to change the way people see addiction by changing the way we talk about it.

"Language is really powerful," Kelli Fox, LCSW, CCS, LADC, assistant clinical professor and director of Field Education in the School of Social Work, told WGME. "How we approach someone, and the kind of messages we send, can impact how someone feels."

According to Fox, saying a person has a substance use disorder, rather than calling them an addict, can influence whether or not that person would continue treatment.

"When you use words like ‘junkie,’ or people being ‘clean’ or ‘not clean,’ it can dehumanize them," she said. "It can be dismissive of how hard it is for someone to be in recovery."

Fox says it comes down to the basic idea that everyone wants to be treated with respect.

Fox appeared on WGME as part of the station’s series of reports called State of Addiction.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.