Wikipedia:WikiProject Addictions and recovery/Style advice

Mental illness

Be precise when discussing mental illnesses. Avoid the term "suffer" (eg. "suffers from mental illness") unless you are discussing research which specifically assesses suffering as such. Use of this phrase by a source is not sufficient grounds to use it on Wikipedia, as it is frequently treated as a figure of speech. Preferred phrasings include "experience mental illness" or "are diagnosed with mental illness".

Substance abuse and BLP

In the United States, there are both state and federal laws which limit the sharing of certain health information, and have specific limitations on sharing information regarding substance use diagnoses and participation in treatment programs. Even if this information has been shared with a third party (eg. a Wikipedia editor) who has no contractual relationship with the subject of the information nor any professional licensing, these laws may limit their dissemination of this information. This WikiProject is not qualified to provide legal advice. However, we do suggest you adhere to WP:BLP very closely in discussions of substance abuse, taking care to avoid tabloid journalism and information that may have been inadvertently exposed.