I'm not sure if this is applies to your quote or not, but I have been interviewing numerous recovering opioid addicts and recovering substance abusers recently. While talking to them and interviewing them, in context of the stigma of admitting they have a problem, they've pretty much all said that they were surprised by what positive reactions they got from their friends and family when they did finally muster up the courage to tell them. They're all amazed by the support they got from people and the number of them that unequivocally said ' we're here for you ' and many of them said they would never have been able to get help and get on the recovery train without all the support they got.
Here is one of the interviews I conducted in case you are interested and I will slowly be posting more and more of the interviews as the edits finish.Cheers