Many people see substance use and addiction as a personal or moral failure. As a result, people may feel fear and anger toward someone with a substance use disorder, even if they are a friend or family member. For many, it can be hard to see – and help – the individual behind the illness. Stigma is a set of negative attitudes that can create barriers to treatment, allowing the disease to progress and poor outcomes to continue. In short, stigma is discrimination that we must overcome if we are to effectively impact lives for the better and decrease the negative consequences that impact individuals, families and communities.