Breaking Stigma: Alcoholics Anonymous and the Medicalization of Addiction in America
Loading...
Authors
Fixley, Clare
Issue Date
2025-12
Volume
10
Issue
Type
Journal Article
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This paper explores the historical evolution of addiction discourse in the United States, focusing on the pivotal role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in shifting public and institutional perceptions from moral failing to medical condition. Drawing on disability studies frameworks, especially the work of Kim Nielsen and Irving Zola, the paper traces how addiction has been historically stigmatized, medicalized, and moralized. Through analysis of primary sources—including the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, the Harrison Anti-Narcotics Act, and the Surgeon General’s Facing Addiction in America report—alongside secondary scholarship, it argues that AA’s emphasis on mutual aid, the disease model, and spiritual recovery reshaped the cultural landscape of addiction treatment. However, the paper also highlights the enduring limitations of medicalization, particularly the persistence of racialized narratives, systemic stigma, and structural inequities in access to care. By situating addiction within the broader history of disability, this study calls for a more inclusive, justice-oriented approach to addiction policy and advocacy—one that integrates peer support, public health frameworks, and the lived experience of people with substance use disorders.
Description
Citation
Publisher
Creighton University
License
This material is copyrighted