Lifting the Veil of Recovery Invisibility

This article looks at W.E.B. De Bois’ concept of the veil and double consciousness as well as Ralph Ellison’s invisibility. The veil is the lens people in addiction are viewed through influenced by social factors. The social influence of the veil can make it difficult for those in addiction to relate and communicate with society. Related, double consciousness creates split a person into two parts. One is the “real self” and the other is a defensive self in response to social stigma. Ellison’s idea of invisibility describes the loss of self through being objectified, feeling like an imoposter, and an inability to hold on to one’s true self. Read the full article here.