If you belong to a visible minority, it has become well established in recent years that you are at higher risk of being discriminated against by the police, the justice system, the health care system and society as a whole. This is called systemic racism; and although social scientists have only validated its authenticity in the last couple of decades, it has been painfully experienced by visible minorities for centuries.
Addicts/alcoholics, and those with mental illness, although subjected to a different kind of discrimination, are also often treated with contempt by the police, the health care system, and society. This is not a theory. It is experienced by addicts/alcoholics (whether they are in Recovery or not) on a daily basis.
A third, broadly-defined category – those with a record of criminal arrests/convictions – are also discriminated against by society for the rest of their lives, even after their punishment has been served. This discrimination manifests itself in terms of severely-limited employment opportunities, travel restrictions, biased treatment at the hands of the police and the justice system, elimination of voting rights in some countries, etc… Not to mention the plight suffered by the falsely accused and the unjustly convicted.
Intersectional minorities are people who have multiple aspects of their personal, social, and political identities marginalized, and are therefore at risk of experiencing discrimination for more than one aspect of themselves. This means that the addict/alcoholic with a criminal record may very well experience an even more intense level of discrimination. An addict/alcoholic of marginalized ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, disability, or other minority status is often subjected to discrimination across multiple areas of their lives.
So What Does This Mean for the Individual?
The aforementioned examples of societal discrimination will take years, if not decades, to eradicate, if indeed they can ever be completely eliminated.
In order to survive at all in this world, the human beings who find themselves in these categories have found that they must hold themselves up to a higher-than-average standard of conduct. They have come to understand that they must not only be innocent, they must also give the appearance of being innocent. They have come to understand that they are under a metaphorical magnifying glass!
This may not seem fair. It is however the present state of affairs.
For the foreseeable future, the aforementioned groups will have to continue to demonstrate better-than-average standards of behaviour for their very survival, and even then, there is no guarantee. Visible minorities know this better than anyone.
On the other hand, witness what too often happens when a person with a mental illness has an encounter with a police officer whose knowledge of mental illness does not exceed that of a high school education.
On the positive side, however, one finds with increasing frequency judges in the courtrooms who have had substantial training and experience in the fields of substance abuse and dependency and mental illness. This is a very welcome development in the last couple of decades and has started to counteract many of society’s engrained prejudices.
Possible strategies (not necessarily applicable to all the aforementioned groups) include:
- keep a daily journal of activities and whereabouts for documentation purposes
- keep a cell phone with camera on hand
- stay in touch with people and friends, and avoid isolation
- attend Recovery meetings regularly
- maintain sobriety so as to not find oneself in a compromising or vulnerable position
- drive safely and responsibly, obeying all traffic laws
- be visible and transparent in all behaviours and intentions
- keep regular and documented medical appointments
- keep distressing mood fluctuations in check using the above-mentioned resources, etc…
Like it or not, the reality is that these stigmatized groups must maintain constant vigilance and impeccable behaviour in both their inner integrity and their outward conduct. Understanding and accepting this is the first step towards taking self-protective measures in a fundamentally biased environment.
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