Genuine -vs- Genius: Walking the Road of Recovery Together
Last Updated on September 20, 2026 by Brenda
Listen to this informative podcast here: Genuine – Vs – Genius
Stigma is everywhere, and at some point in our lives, we all experience it. Yet, when it comes to behavioral health and substance use disorders, stigma turns into a silent, debilitating wall. It isolates people, keeps them from seeking medical or dental care, and causes individuals to suffer in silence out of fear of being labeled.
On a recent episode of the Health IQ Podcast, host Brenda Bishop and Joyce Runyan tackled this heavy topic head-on, sharing eye-opening data from a recent Quay County stigma survey and discussing how our community can collectively break down these barriers.
Earlier this year, an electronic stigma survey conducted in partnership with the state revealed some sobering metrics regarding local perceptions of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD):
61% of respondents agreed that most people in their community think less of a person who is currently in or has completed treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.
Only 15% of people disagreed with that statement, revealing how heavily biased we assume our neighbors to be.
63% of respondents believed that most local employers would pass over an application from someone with a history of Opioid Use Disorder treatment in favor of another applicant.
These numbers highlight a harsh truth: when a person successfully navigates the grueling path of recovery to build a better life, community judgment continues to limit their ability to provide for their families.
During a community facilitator training with curriculum from University of Rochester, local leaders explored the exact anatomy of stigma. It all starts with how we are raised and what we define as “normal”. When we leave our childhood homes, we quickly realize that what was normal for us isn’t normal for everyone else.
This friction creates a natural progression:
Bias: Built-in preferences or perspectives that guide our daily choices (which aren’t inherently bad).
Perceptions: Bias can affect our perception of what we believe to be true.
Prejudice: When a bias or perception hardens to the point that we completely refuse to consider alternative sides or situations.
Stigma: The final, dangerous stage where a person is entirely reduced to a negative stereotype.
Once we stigmatize someone, we stop seeing them as a human being with a unique story and complex trauma. We simply categorize them as “someone who uses substances,” assuming their situation is entirely a personal failure rather than a medical struggle.
During a community workshop centered around these concepts, participants watched video stories of real people navigating their recovery. One participant noted that they do not call it recovery at all; they view it as a “transformation journey”. This reframing applies to everyone—after all, don’t we all want to be a better version of ourselves tomorrow than we are today?
The ultimate takeaway from the event evaluation sheet perfectly summarizes how the community can step up to help:
“Examine your biases. Addicts don’t need you to be a genius to help. They need you to be genuine.”
You do not need a medical degree or expert psychological training to save a life or support a neighbor. You simply need humility, honesty, and the willingness to listen without treating someone like a stereotype. True progress requires community connection and peer support; no one heals completely alone.
A conversation is only the beginning. To ensure that help is visible and accessible, the Health Council is launching immediate community initiatives based on the workshop’s feedback:
QR Code Resource Fliers: A localized, comprehensive online resource directory has been built. Fliers with QR codes are being distributed to local schools, emergency responders, and EMS so help is always a scan away.
QPR or ABC Training: First responders and local police departments will be encouraged to take Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training to equip them with the words and tools to handle mental health crises safely.
School Pulse Expansion: Expanding mental health connection programs into regional schools including Quay, De Baca, Curry, Roosevelt, and soon, Harding counties.
Long-Term Peer Support: Beginning the long-range process of recruiting and training local peer support workers.
Need Help Right Now?
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or substance use, remember that help is always available and entirely confidential: Call or Text: 988 (The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
Local ER: You can walk into Dan C Trigg (A Presbyterian Healthcare Hospital) emergency room at any time and explicitly ask for peer support and will be connected to one online.
