Recovery Month...

Just found out that someone from the Recovery Month unit at the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is following this blog. They are a great organization, so I thought I would give them a plug.

Recovery Month is an annual observance that takes place during the month of September.

The Recovery Month observance highlights the societal benefits of substance abuse treatment, lauds the contributions of treatment providers and promotes the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible. The observance also encourages citizens to take action to help expand and improve the availability of effective substance abuse treatment for those in need. Each year a new theme, or emphasis, is selected for the observance.

Recovery Month provides a platform to celebrate people in recovery and those who serve them. Each September, thousands of treatment programs around the country celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about treatment, how it works, for whom, and why. Substance abuse treatment providers have made significant accomplishments, having transformed the lives of untold thousands of Americans. These successes often go unnoticed by the broader population; therefore, Recovery Month provides a vehicle to celebrate these successes.

Recovery Month also serves to educate the public on substance abuse as a national health crisis, that addiction is a treatable disease, and that recovery is possible. Recovery Month highlights the benefits of treatment for not only the affected individual, but for their family, friends, workplace, and society as a whole. Educating the public reduces the stigma associated with addiction and treatment. Accurate knowledge of the disease helps people to understand the importance of supporting treatment programs, those who work within the treatment field, and those in need of treatment.

Recovery Month is more than just a month-long celebration of everything about recovery from addiction. This year's theme is "Join the Voices of Recovery...Now More Than Ever". Their web site at http://www.recoverymonth.gov is the most authoritative place to find activities and events that might be scheduled in your state. For those states where is there are no scheduled events, perhaps you, your employer, or organization can sponsor one during September.

So check out The Recovery Month site and have some fun in recovery!

All the best, Roger W.