--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I felt that if people understood the…" description: "\"I felt that if people understood the struggle of recovery, then some of the stigma of addiction might be reduced because the audience would understand ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg" --- # I felt that if people understood the struggle of recovery… ![“I felt that if people understood the struggle of recovery, then some of the stigma of addiction might be reduced because the audience would understand in a palpable way that addiction is a disease that tells the afflicted, despite years or even decades of heartbreaking evidence to the contrary…” quote by Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg) > “I felt that if people understood the struggle of recovery, then some of the stigma of addiction might be reduced because the audience would understand in a palpable way that addiction is a disease that tells the afflicted, despite years or even decades of heartbreaking evidence to the contrary, that using will make things better.” [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding recovery can humanize addiction, reducing stigma by showing it as a disease rather than a moral failing. **In simple terms:** Seeing addiction as disease reduces stigma. Key Takeaway Promote empathy through education. Themes stigma addiction recovery Mood empathetic hopeful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - healthcare training - public speaking - support groups - media campaigns Key Concepts disease model public perception empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can personal stories change public opinion? - What barriers keep stigma alive? A Different Perspective Stigma persists if audiences resist seeing addiction as illness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Heartbreaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartbreaking/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovery/) [Stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigma/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [For far too many people, the stigma around addiction prevents them from stepping forward for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/for-far-too-many-people-the-stigma-around-addiction-prevents-them/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [Mental health treatment is most likely available to the officers, but they may be reluctant to access it due to cultural beliefs within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/mental-health-treatment-is-most-likely-available-to-the-officers-but/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [Thinking about the heartbreaking number of young children around the world who think they are unwanted and are uncared for can easily keep you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-march/thinking-about-the-heartbreaking-number-of-young-children-around-the/) [Stephanie March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-march/) > [“What is heartbreaking is that there is still beauty in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/what-is-heartbreaking-is-that-there-is-still-beauty-in-the-world/) [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) > [With Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward has written the best sort of novel-a beautiful, important book that's both unflinching and tender, heartbreaking and triumphant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-horack/with-salvage-the-bones-jesmyn-ward-has-written-the-best-sort-of-novel/) Skip Horack > [Every time you turn on the TV, you see some kind of heartbreaking story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hartley/every-time-you-turn-on-the-tv-you-see-some-kind-of-heartbreaking-story/) [Justin Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hartley/) > [You see a script, and you say, 'Oh, I can play the heck out of that,' talk to your agent, and he says they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/you-see-a-script-and-you-say-oh-i-can-play-the-heck-out-of-that-talk/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [It's heartbreaking to watch people working against themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/it-s-heartbreaking-to-watch-people-working-against-themselves/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I loved my husband very much, and it was heartbreaking to have him develop Alzheimer's disease, and to stand by and watch him decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-loved-my-husband-very-much-and-it-was-heartbreaking-to-have-him/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-greatest-issue-facing-the-world-today-with-all-its-heartbreaking/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [I find that truly heartbreaking that, like, it's such a common, constant thing in people's lives - a brutal abuse of people by other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-duritz/i-find-that-truly-heartbreaking-that-like-it-s-such-a-common-constant/) [Adam Duritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-duritz/) > [The discovery that heartbreak is indeed heartbreaking consoles us about our humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-discovery-that-heartbreak-is-indeed-heartbreaking-consoles-us/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [It's shocking when someone who is really bad thinks they're really good. It's heartbreaking, because singing is such a vulnerable thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-camp/it-s-shocking-when-someone-who-is-really-bad-thinks-they-re-really/) [Anna Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-camp/) > [Heartbreaking to watch people deteriorating week after week. Constantly being let down by other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/heartbreaking-to-watch-people-deteriorating-week-after-week/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Brian Lindstrom > [My grandpa could go days, weeks, even months without a drink but if he took that first drink, he couldn't stop. Once, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/my-grandpa-could-go-days-weeks-even-months-without-a-drink-but-if-he/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [We all use dishwashers every day and yet none of us would say that we're experts on dishwashers, but somehow we all think we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/we-all-use-dishwashers-every-day-and-yet-none-of-us-would-say-that-we/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [I think that every film should have its own structure, and that's the beauty of film language - is that we get to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-think-that-every-film-should-have-its-own-structure-and-that-s-the/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [It can be difficult to present mental illness in film without resorting to devices that, if not handled well, can seem heavy-handed or cliché.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/it-can-be-difficult-to-present-mental-illness-in-film-without/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [In documentary you sometimes see the tyranny of the linear, but what I've noticed in the last ten years in narrative film is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/in-documentary-you-sometimes-see-the-tyranny-of-the-linear-but-what-i/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [If the subject is no longer living, the immediate question is do you have enough first-person material to really get that story across. You'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/if-the-subject-is-no-longer-living-the-immediate-question-is-do-you/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [If I weren't making documentary films, I suppose I'd be teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/if-i-weren-t-making-documentary-films-i-suppose-i-d-be-teaching/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [The visual quality of the cameras now is such that you can shoot with available light, and if people are willing to mount a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/the-visual-quality-of-the-cameras-now-is-such-that-you-can-shoot-with/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [I knew as a young boy that addiction and alcoholism afflict people - good, loving people - in profound ways, and that some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-knew-as-a-young-boy-that-addiction-and-alcoholism-afflict-people/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [I think it would be really hypocritical of me to make the films I make, where I delve into people's lives, to say that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-think-it-would-be-really-hypocritical-of-me-to-make-the-films-i/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [One thing people often forget when making a documentary is that, in a sense, you still have to cast, find a star, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/one-thing-people-often-forget-when-making-a-documentary-is-that-in-a/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [In the same way that we want to expand mental health service for people with mental illness, we also need to make sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/in-the-same-way-that-we-want-to-expand-mental-health-service-for/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [I don't think that there is any hard and fast rule that says that documentary has to be linear at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-don-t-think-that-there-is-any-hard-and-fast-rule-that-says-that/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [With a living person you're always burdened with this idea of fair representation, treading this fine line between honoring the person, and yet you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/with-a-living-person-you-re-always-burdened-with-this-idea-of-fair/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) > [I felt like any individual's recovery was more important than the film I was making. And I actually felt that my presence was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-felt-like-any-individual-s-recovery-was-more-important-than-the/) [Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) [Explore all 24 Brian Lindstrom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/) ## More Addiction quotes > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) Robbin Crosby > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) > [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/) [Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/) > [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/) [Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/) > [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I felt that if people understood the struggle of recovery, then some of the stigma of addiction might be reduced because the audience would understand in a palpable way that addiction is a disease that tells the afflicted, despite years or even decades of heartbreaking evidence to the contrary, that using will make things better.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Lindstrom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-struggle-of-recovery-then-some/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Addiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-struggle-of-recovery-then-some/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b54/brian-lindstrom-24278_addiction_i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-str_339393.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I felt that if people understood the struggle of recovery, then some of the stigma of addiction might be…” — Brian Lindstrom", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brian Lindstrom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I felt that if people understood...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-struggle-of-recovery-then-some/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/i-felt-that-if-people-understood-the-struggle-of-recovery-then-some/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```