Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jan 2006
Source: Greenville News (SC)
Copyright: 2006 The Greenville News
Contact:  http://greenvillenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/877
Author: Jane F. Pressly and Kenneth Gibson

WILL THE REAL PERSON IN RECOVERY PLEASE STAND UP?

Is it the person sitting two rows over from you in church? Is it the 
nurse helping you at your doctor's office? What about your real 
estate agent or attorney? Maybe it's the clerk behind the counter at 
the dry cleaners?

They are hard to spot. They lead normal and productive lives. But it 
didn't use to be that way for them. It is hard to tell just by 
looking at them, but they are different. They are "in recovery" from 
addiction to alcohol or other drugs. They are living proof that there 
are real solutions to addiction, but their stories of recovery are 
not celebrated.

The focus of our local and national media is on the problem of 
addiction -- the crime, the costs, the damage to families and 
communities. We hear stories about the costly war on drugs, the 
latest methamphetamine lab bust, and the attractive celebrity going 
to rehab. But we don't hear about the story of recovery from addiction.

You know about stories of people recovering from cancer and people 
who are doing well after a heart attack. But we bet that you don't 
know what recovery from addiction is all about. For too long people 
in recovery have kept quiet because of the fear of discrimination and stigma.

Faces and Voices of Recovery Upstate, a new education and advocacy 
organization based on a national initiative, 
www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org, wants to shift the focus to the 
solution to the addiction problem and tell the story of recovery. 
People in recovery and their family members, by speaking out and 
putting a human face on recovery, play a critical role in breaking 
down barriers by educating the public about the disease of addiction 
and fighting stigma to end discrimination against those seeking and 
maintaining recovery.

A new life, free from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, is a 
reality for millions of Americans and tens of thousands more get well 
every year. Regardless of the path a person takes in seeking recovery 
from addiction, the lives of family members, friends and neighbors 
are vastly improved as a result. Recovery happens every day across 
our country and there are real solutions to alcohol and other drug addictions.

We know that recovery is an achievable goal for many of the 23 
million Americans age 12 and older who still need help. In Greenville 
County this translates to more than 30,000 residents who are in need 
of alcohol or drug treatment. Faces and Voices of Recovery Upstate 
believes that everyone has a right to be free from addiction and that 
the recovering community must be involved at every level in 
developing and carrying out policy.

Recovery benefits the individual, his or her family, the community, 
public health and safety, and the taxpayer. Each year the United 
States spends $328 billion on substance abuse-related costs, 
including criminal justice, social service and health care, as well 
as crime and lost productivity. But we spend only $18 billion on 
substance abuse treatment. Taxpayer dollars are being misspent. In 
fact one study determines that each $1 invested in treatment for 
addiction saves $7.46 in costs to society of substance use disorders.

But does treatment lead to recovery? Addiction treatment research 
demonstrates that alcoholism and other drug addiction are treatable 
biopsychosocial illnesses that are similar to other chronic 
conditions. When tailored to the needs of the individual, addiction 
treatment is as effective as treatment of other illnesses, such as 
diabetes, hypertension and asthma. It is clear from research on the 
economic impact of substance abuse and addiction on health, crime, 
social stability and community well-being, that the cost to society 
of not treating persons with substance abuse problems is quite substantial.

Please join us on Thursday for an evening with William C. Moyers at 7 
p.m. at the Palmetto Exposition Center. Moyers is the vice president 
of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and carries the 
message about addiction and recovery into the public arena, 
especially to policy makers and civic groups across America.

His topic, "Unmasking the Stigma," will be a call to action for 
people in recovery, their families and professionals who work in the 
field to stand up and speak out to shatter stigma around addiction 
and improve public understanding of treatment and recovery.

For more information about the William Moyers event, call 235-8330.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman