Today marks the beginning of the 2009 National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month- go here to find special events held in your area over the next couple of weeks. It seems fitting that it also marks my birthday- as if the fiddle playing cat wasn’t a big enough hint. I can think of no better gift than the ever increasing awareness and participation that this month gets every year and it will only get better if we keep spreading the word.

No happy birthdays for me please- instead, tell a friend about recovery month and why it is so important that we “educate the public on substance abuse as a national health crisis, that addiction is a treatable disease, and that recovery is possible.”

Thank you Sarah Ikenberry, a Public Health Advisor in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, for sending me this 2009 Recovery Month widget. Enter your zip code to see what Recovery Month events closest to you have been scheduled, but what makes this widget even cooler is that you can submit your own events so that they too show up. Go here to submit your Recovery Month events and go here to get this great widget for your own website or blog.

I spent lunch with the Director of the Shelby County Treatment Center (SCTC) developing an outline for a program we intend to host for local law enforcement and politicians. We want to raise awareness and provide education on medically assisted recovery and dispel some of the myths and misconceptions many have about the program in our community.

I consider my participation in preparation and as host for the event as my annual project for National Recovery Month, and an important part of my role as a recovery advocate. We plan to walk participants through an explanation of the program and relevant terms, then demonstrate the intake process and the phases of treatment, and then finish it off with a FAQ and Q and A. It should be fun and informative; I’ll try to make some of the presentation material available online as it is developed.

Ivette Torres, the Associate Director for Consumer Affairs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is making sure that people know early about the upcoming 2009 Recovery Month. She deserves a TDA Salute for contacting personally advocates like myself and others making sure we doing our part, but also for offering periodic updates and links to resources. Every year a theme or issue is highlighted for observance:

This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal,” emphasizes the need to use all available resources, in our communities and on the Internet, to educate people about the disease and to help those with substance use disorders, and those close to them, get support. By opening a dialogue about the harmful effects of alcohol and drug addiction on families, friends, and communities, we can provide hope, healing, and better support those struggling with substance use disorders as they embark on a successful journey of sustained recovery. ~ Recovery Month 2009

Look out for the coming updates from Ms. Torres and SAMHSA and I will also be adding info on events being planned here in Alabama with our Substance Abuse Task Force and a special series of events at the treatment center where I volunteer.