September is a time of year when the weather starts cooling off, foliage begins to turn beautiful colors and summer transitions into fall. However, every September is also the annual observance of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Recovery Month.
The Goals of National Recovery Month
National Recovery Month, now in its 30th year, provides much-needed visibility to those living in sobriety, as well as those who have supported them along the way. One of the defining goals of National Recovery Month is to minimize the stigma around addiction by encouraging people to share their stories about their experiences. Another objective is to spread the hopeful message that learning how to overcome addiction is possible.
National Recovery Month also aims to do the following:
- Honoring the strides people in recovery have made
- Applauding the contributions of treatment and service providers
- Sharing the idea that behavioral health is essential for overall health
- Helping people understand that the right addiction treatment can be highly effective
Ideas for Getting Involved
If you have an interest in addiction awareness, either because you’re currently in recovery or because you’re supporting a friend or family member in their sobriety, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved. Consider the following.
Plan or Attend an Event
The official Recovery Month website offers plenty of resources to help you host a Recovery Month event for your community, as well as to make it easy for you to find an event near you. If you can’t find any National Recovery Month activities close to your hometown, there are also online events.
Promote National Recovery Month on Social Media
If you have a presence on any social media platforms, sharing information about National Recovery Month online is one of the most straightforward ways you can show your support.
- Add Recovery Month materials to your blog, website or social profiles.
- Share your recovery story or links to other people’s testimonies.
- Spread the word about recovery resources on your social media profiles.
- Post uplifting messages about prevention, treatment and recovery.
- Promote Recovery Month events near you.
- Be sure to tag your posts with the 2019 Recovery Month hashtags, which are #recoverymonth, #recoverymonth2019 and #riseforrecovery.
Seek a Proclamation
Across the country, many governments, Native tribes and nonprofit organizations have issued proclamations to demonstrate their support for National Recovery Month. In doing so, they commit to improving access to treatment options, as well as increasing public awareness around issues such as the drug epidemic.
Tell Your Story
Awareness is one of the most powerful tools in dispelling the stigmas around addiction. You can share your story at recovery group meetings, or with friends and family who would benefit from learning about your experiences with substance misuse and how you sought help.
By talking honestly about your recovery journey, you can help inspire other people who may be struggling with some of the same challenges behind the scenes. If it initially feels scary to open up to other people, just tell yourself that you are helping people understand addiction can happen to anyone, and that it is a disease, rather than a weakness of character.
New Mexico Addiction Treatment
If National Recovery Month has inspired you to seek healing for a substance abuse issue, Vista Taos is here for you. At our accredited, family-owned treatment center in gorgeous Taos, New Mexico, our mission is to help people rediscover their health and learn to live a substance-free life. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us.
