Rally for Recovery
On September 6, I attended and participated in the 2014 Capital Area Rally for Recovery in Raleigh, NC. It was an amazing day that included wonderful presentations, food, music, and fun activities for the kids. The event was sponsored by RCNC (Raleigh Communities of NC). I love these events because they tend to be larger and they provide a great opportunity to educate a sizeable group of people. It also gets local government in front of people as well, which is very positive in terms of getting people to listen to the message. We had 2 local mayors, a judge, and a Raleigh city councilman who spoke to the crowd.
My favorite part was hearing people in recovery sharing their stories. They explained, in no uncertain terms, how miserable their lives were until they decided to seek help. And then the good part—they are now living happy, fulfilling lives in recovery. A theme that came out was that it is so important to have a support system in place once you do find recovery. It is not a “one shot and you’re done” kind of thing. Recovery is an ongoing process. People need help finding training, jobs, housing, and emotional support. I had a personal experience with this several months ago when I was helping a young man who completed 90 days of rehab. He was doing great, but the stress of finding a job was intense. He faced one setback after another. Also, we called all over Raleigh trying to find a facility that would dispense a Vivitrol (Naltrexone) shot. Naltrexone blocks the effects of opioids so you can’t get high. We called every place on the list we were given of places in Raleigh to get the shot. Not a single one would do it, and they didn’t know anyone who would. Why? We were told it is because of the insurance risk in case anything went wrong from the shot. I couldn’t believe it. Here we have a simple injection that can drastically reduce the chances of relapse, and no one will give it. I find that completely unacceptable.
The rally organizers did celebrate and thank local businesses who hire people in recovery, and I’m so happy they did that. These companies deserve recognition for their willingness to give someone a leg up and take a chance. Actually, the statistics show that people in recovery tend to be some of the best, most reliable workers around. They are generally more dependable than average workers. Hats off to these awesome companies! Thank you for making a difference.
I told my own story about losing my son to overdose. I explained to folks why I have become so active in the recovery community, and that reason is to prevent any other parent, child, or family from suffering the devastation that our family suffered. I told them that my son was a straight-A student with a large circle of friends. I told them that my son won first place in the D.A.R.E. essay contest. I told them he didn’t fit my profile of an addict. And then I explained how I now understand that there is no profile. It can, and does, happen to anyone. Drugs do not discriminate. They affect people across the board. Nice people; good people–your friends, neighbors, work associates. And I talked about the fact that addiction is a disease, not a moral shortcoming.
I also got to talk about Heroes in Recovery and the fantastic work this movement is doing. I am so blessed to be able to work with these wonderful people on such an important mission. I invited the audience to view our website for great stories of people living happy, fulfilling lives in recovery and to check out our blogs and race dates. Several people told me they would be checking out the website, so I am thrilled to get the word out there.
Finally, I sat in on the screening of the documentary “The Anonymous People”, directed by Greg Williams. If you haven’t seen it, please do! It is an incredible film about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. It will change your perception and preconceived notions about addiction. Greg Williams was actually there and participated in a panel discussion after the film was shown. He’s a pretty amazing guy. I felt very fortunate to get to meet this young man.
All in all, it was a fantastic day, and it left me with a feeling of hope for the future. People are starting to hear the message and listen. I live for the day when all people can easily and shamelessly find help, be able to afford it, and find a support system in place once they do find recovery. The winds of change are blowing, and I couldn’t be happier about that.