Monday, 31 August 2009 16:51 Written by Terry Newton

September is Recovery Month

It is said that every alcoholic or chemically dependent person affects at least five people around them directly or indirectly as a result of their misuse of alcohol and/or drugs. In the latest;   "National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University";  "Shoveling Up Report" it reveals the following figures for the State of Michigan:

18.2% of the entire State budget is spent on the direct and indirect consequences associated with Substance Abuse and Addiction. The Substance Abuse Dollar looks like this:

Burden to Public Programs:              .89 Cents

Regulation/Compliance:                    .11 Cents

Treatment for Substane Abuse:       .01 Cent

Prevention for Substance Abuse:     Less Than .01 Cent

The numbers may not add up due to rounding. What this says is that as of 2005:

Michigan spends $462.88 per person on the burdens of Substance Abuse (criminal justice, education, health, child/family assistance, mental health) and only $4.92 per person on prevention, treatment and research.

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.

Please remember the sick people that are still actively engaged in the disease, people whose lives have been affected by someone's abuse of substances, and the ones who have courageously worked to heal themselves of the devastation of this disease.