Why Words Matter: Pregnancy & Addiction
“She’s just a pregnant addict.”
Words like that might sound casual to some.
But to someone who’s struggling—and especially to someone who’s pregnant and trying to recover—those words can feel like a punch to the gut.
They hurt.
They shame.
They isolate.
And worst of all, they can keep people from reaching out for help.
At Sobriety House, we know recovery starts with compassion. And that includes the words we use.
Words can heal—or harm
Too often, pregnant women who use substances are treated as villains, not as people.
The media paints them as reckless.
The public blames them.
And our language reinforces that story:
“Addict.”
“Junkie.”
“Pregnant drug user.”
“Crack baby.”
These are labels.
Not people.
And labels have power. They reduce someone’s entire life down to their worst day.
They reinforce stigma. They spread shame.
And they can make a woman believe she’s beyond help—even when she’s doing the brave, hard thing of choosing recovery.
This kind of person-first language doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle. It reminds us: people are more than their diagnosis. More than their past. More than their addiction.
Why it matters—for all of us
When we change our language, we change the story.
Instead of asking:
“Why would she use while pregnant?”
We begin to ask:
“What happened to her?”
We replace judgment with curiosity.
Shame with empathy.
Punishment with support.
And guess what?
That shift doesn’t just feel better.
It works better.
There’s science behind this
This isn’t just about being kind. It’s about being effective.
Studies show that people are far more likely to seek help—and stay engaged in treatment—when they feel respected and believed in.
Stigmatizing language does the opposite: it reinforces shame, which becomes a barrier to care.
As the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) puts it:
“Language frames our thinking, and negative terms can perpetuate bias.
Person-first language promotes dignity and supports recovery.”
At Sobriety House, we speak the language of recovery
We don’t use labels.
We use names.
We don’t assign blame.
We offer support.
We know that behind every person in our program is a story—a story of survival, strength, and the hope for something better.
That includes the pregnant women who walk through our doors.
They are not broken.
They are not beyond hope.
They are not “just addicts.”
They are mothers.
They are daughters.
They are fighters.
They are survivors.
They are whole people who deserve whole-person care.
Let’s talk differently—so more people can heal
Next time you hear someone use hurtful language around addiction or pregnancy, say something. Gently. With love.
Because when we change how we talk, we can help someone believe in a better future.
That’s what recovery is all about.