The Shape of Stigma: Reflections for the Year Ahead

As we step into a new year, it's natural to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It's peak season for reflective blogs, annual reports and the like.

But instead of cataloguing everything we’ve done at the Anti-Stigma Network, we want to focus on one key realisation from the past year, which is our thoughts about the shape and scale of stigma and the opportunity we have to address it.

Over the past year, as we’ve spoken with people from all walks of life, one thing has become strikingly clear—no one is immune to stigmatising thinking. Whether someone uses, has used substances or never touched them, stigma weaves itself through all our daily lives in both subtle and overt ways.

The Breadth of Spaces and Relationships
Stigma permeates our everyday interactions, shaping how we treat others and are treated in return. It exists in personal relationships, workplaces, and broader societal structures from healthcare and justice to welfare, housing, education, banking and wherever else in life you can exist and experience. 

Deep within all of us
Stigma lives in the stories we inherit and experience that help form our beliefs — stories from our families, literature, the media, and the arts. These narratives influence how we see ourselves and others. They teach us who belongs, who doesn’t, and how we should judge those around us.

From the bottom to the top of structures and institutions  
Stigmatising thinking is present in all organisations at all levels. Whether that be community, regional or national policies, laws, major institutions or even within spiritual beliefs.

Stigma across Time
Perhaps most strikingly, stigma transcends individual lifetimes. As well as being present in all lifestages and life events from birth to death, people can be stigmatised before they are born and long after they’ve passed. History is full of examples where stigma shapes legacies and erases contributions.

What This Means for Us All
Recognising the shape and scale of stigma can feel overwhelming. But this also presents an opportunity. Just as no one is immune from stigmatised thinking, every one of us has a role to play in understanding and addressing it. We have countless spaces to work in, countless moments to intervene, and countless opportunities to challenge. Whether unlearning inherited beliefs, being mindful of personal interactions, or advocating for policy change, each action matters.