Why We Created Reduce The Stigma

Reduce The Stigma is on a mission to tackle the stigma surrounding substance use, addiction, and mental health challenges, as well as the difficult life experiences that contribute to them. We do this by elevating the voices of individuals with lived experiences, as well as the organizations and people working to support them. We know that access to accurate information and the sharing of true stories are two effective ways to combat stigma, so that’s what we do.

BUT WHY!?

Stigma is harmful. THE END; that’s enough reason to fight it. To go a little further, stigma causes pain, death, poor care, lack of opportunities, self-hatred, isolation, and more and more horrible experiences and actions. I really don’t think we need to say more than that, but maybe a future blog post will be diving deeper into the impact of stigma (let me know if this would be worthwhile in the comments). 

Ok, but where did the idea of a podcast and video sharing platform come from?

Before I can tell you about why we’re using the approach of a podcast and video sharing platform, I need to introduce you to a few people.

Melissa Dittberner, PhD, better known as “Dr. Mo,” began exploring the world of peer supports several years ago. By talking with peer specialists she learned about their pain points, needs, and desires. After becoming a peer specialist herself, she looked for a way to do more to build up and empower the peer specialist profession. Fast forward a bit to Dr. Mo meeting Jonathan Lewis, an entrepreneur and internet marketing expert who was equally passionate about individuals with substance use, addiction, and mental health needs. Together, Dr. Mo and Jonathan co-founded Straight Up Care, the comprehensive telehealth platform that enables peer specialists to work for themselves – eliminating unnecessary red tape, inconveniences, and requirements. 

Wait, I thought we were talking about Reduce The Stigma, not Straight Up Care?

We are, and Reduce The Stigma (RTS) is the product of Straight Up Care (SUC), so you can’t talk about RTS without mentioning SUC. While Dr. Mo and Jonathan were building SUC (beginning in spring 2022), they saw the significant stigma surrounding not only individuals seeking or in need of substance use or mental health support, but also the stigma faced by peer specialists themselves. Although the role of peer specialists have been around for decades (sometimes under a different title), it hasn’t been given the respect it deserves. In fact, peer support was often seen as a “bottom rung” service, one that’s offered but not nearly as important as the services delivered by degreed professionals (counselors, social workers, doctors, nurses, etc.). 

And before you think I’m bashing degreed professionals, let me share that I’m a licensed professional counselor. I was actually one of the degreed professionals who misunderstood the value of peer specialists – thankfully I’ve seen the error of that mindset. 

Anyways, back to SUC and the stigma it witnessed peer specialists facing. Stigma surrounding substance use/addiction and mental health is nothing new, and it’s fueled by inaccurate information, stereotypes, and fear. Dr. Mo and Jonathan saw that addressing stigma was going to be crucial to empowering peer specialists and improving the access to peer support services for those in need. And reducethestigma.com was born (in early 2023)! When launched, the site was a go-to site for videos related to substance use, mental health, addiction, and busting stigma, it gained a lot of visitors and videos. It was having an impact, no doubt.

Then, in September 2023, Dr. Mo and Jonathan brought me, Whitney Menarcheck, onto the SUC team. This was an incredible opportunity for me and I’m still so grateful to have met Dr. Mo and Jonathan. Our passions aligned perfectly. Like Dr. Mo and Jonathan, I am determined to eliminate barriers and cultivate opportunities for an individual to achieve their self-defined success, meaning and fulfillment. 

Reduce The Stigma Podcast

To help the peers on the Straight Up Care platform build their brand and gain recognition, we started to interview them – a series we originally called “Meet The Peer.” Slowly, we began to expand to include interviews with others in the addiction and SUD space, which we called “Recovery Conversations.”

As the show grew, gained more followers, and had more people eager to be guests, we revisited the website and show format. Which leads us to today, when we have an incredible website where ANYONE can share their story and spread their message, joining us on our journey to bust stigma. And the podcast? It keeps gaining followers and interest! Truly incredible that the stories and voices of our guests are resonating with so many people. 

The Future

We’re now 6 months into our podcast and already have guests booked for the remainder of season 1, with a waiting list of guests ready to jump in if there’s a cancellation or to be the first to schedule for season 2. We’re going to keep building Reduce The Stigma so that there is always an online safe space to share stories and spread messages of inclusion, acceptance, and understanding. 

We can’t do these amazing things without our incredible audience, guests, and supporters. You can always share your feedback with us so that we can continue delivering exactly what’s needed. 

Thank you,

Whitney, Jonathan & Dr. Mo