Stigma, kindness, and professionalism: On fostering compassion and countering stigmatization

It is generally understood that suffering a bereavement is usually an extremely painful event, and accordingly, bereaved individuals usually receive compassion and kindness from others whilst they are navigating the ramifications of the event and the process of grieving. The experiences of adults who are bereaved through a drug-related death, however, are frequently very different from this. Often, those suffering from a drug-related bereavement are met with hostility, a lack of care and compassion, and are highly “stigmatized by association” with the person who died. Using data from a major study of adult relatives and friends bereaved by the drug or alcohol use of someone else, this chapter will examine the frequency with which this occurs and the reasons why this happens. We will also provide suggestions for how these prejudicial responses might be altered and make recommendations for how people from all walks of life, both personal and professional, might respond in a more compassionate and kind way.