Every September, we ask you to join us in celebrating National Recovery Month. This observance, led by Faces & Voices of Recovery, is an important opportunity to educate the public about addiction and mental illness. In our efforts to dispel the stigma of these conditions, we also help people to realize that lifelong recovery is possible. Read on for more information about this exciting celebration.
About National Recovery Month
2021 marks the 32nd year of National Recovery Month. Until recently, this observance was led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency responsible for public efforts to improve behavioral health. 2020 was the first year that SAMHSA handed control over to the recovery community. While the government will continue to assist in the planning and execution of National Recovery Month, Faces & Voices of Recovery will spearhead all social media efforts, promotional materials, and events.
Recovery Month 2021 Theme
Each year, organizers select a theme for the month of September. 2020’s was “Join the Voices of Recovery: Celebrating Connections,” a direct response to the social distance and isolation caused by COVID-19. 2021’s theme reflects public concern in a similar way.
The 2021 Recovery Month theme is Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community.
In their promotional materials, Faces & Voices of Recovery leaders explain that this name reminds those who are recovering – and the people who love them – that recovery belongs to everyone. They are using this observance to signal the end of gatekeeping, high barriers to care, exclusive spaces, and limited understanding of others’ experiences. Instead, they ask us to welcome all newcomers, become open to what others have gone through, and provide inclusive opportunities for recovery to all communities.
Here is a quote from the organizers about the concept of “Recovery for Everyone.”
“While it may be tempting to characterize recovery as a universal experience or single journey, our community is proof that there are as many pathways to and of recovery as there are people. Our strength is in our diversity… by expanding traditional, limited conceptions of recovery, which center on white, heterosexual, cisgender, religious, wealthy perspectives, we enrich everyone’s experience… As we grow in empathy and understanding, we save lives by adding protective factors and building resiliency.”
Get the Toolkit
Faces & Voices of Recovery has prepared a digital toolkit for those looking to participate in National Recovery Month 2021. You can find printable materials and social media resources on the Recovery Month website. They also ask that you follow Recovery Month on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Hashtags that can be used in your social media posts about this observance include:
- #RecoveryMonth
- #Recovery
- #RecoveryIn[Your Location]
- #LanguageMatters
- #MakeSeptemberPurple
Download the full toolkit here.
What Can I Do?
Each person has something unique to offer in the days ahead, depending on their professional and personal relationship with the recovery community. For example, members of law enforcement can provide naloxone/Narcan trainings this month, and primary care providers can brush up on the most common signs of addiction.
If you are a recovery advocate, you can get involved in your own way. Consider reaching out to local treatment centers and hospitals to source members of a panel. Together, you can all provide a Q&A or TED Talk-style resource for members of the public to learn about addiction, mental illness, and proper care.
Addiction treatment professionals can also meet one-on-one with community health systems and local healthcare providers to discuss which treatment strategies have worked for them in the past (and which areas could use improvement). How do substance use disorders and mental health conditions affect their area of practice? How can they best coordinate with third-party providers who specialize in the treatment of these conditions? Which continuing education resources could benefit them and their colleagues? If you are an expert in recovery, your input on these matters could help to change lives.
National Recovery Month Events
There are several exciting events, both national and local, taking place this month.
- September 5 through 11: Suicide Prevention Week
- September 9: Recovery Month Kickoff Event
- September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day
- September 20: National Addiction Professionals Day
- September 30: International Recovery Day
Quotes for National Recovery Month
Finally, we would like to leave you with some inspiring quotes about recovery from addiction and mental illness. We hope that these words of wisdom will empower you in your own journey, this month and every month.
Quotes About Addiction
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard
“If you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime.” – Benjamin Alire Sáenz
“I understood myself only after I destroyed myself. And only in the process of fixing myself did I know who I really was.” – Sade Andria Zabala
“All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.” – Aldous Huxley
“Recovery is hard. Regret is harder.” – Brittany Burgunder
“You have to break down before you can break through.” – Marilyn Ferguson
“I really mean it when I say my biggest fear in early recovery was that I would never have fun again. The beautiful truth is that recovery has given me freedom and the confidence to go out in the world and leave my own mark.” – Tom Stoddart
Quotes About Mental Health
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” – John Green
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” – Fred Rogers
“You are the one thing in this world, above all other things, that you must never give up on.” – Lili Reinhart
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert Schuller
“You look at me and cry; everything hurts. I hold you and whisper: but everything can heal.” – Rupi Kaur
“I keep moving ahead, as always, knowing deep down inside that I am a good person and that I am worthy of a good life.” – Jonathan Harnisch
Your Partner in Recovery
At Lakeside-Milam, we believe that everyone deserves to recover. That’s why we’ve worked to make addiction treatment affordable and easily accessible for people all across the state of Washington. We provide evidence-based care rooted in proven therapeutic modalities. Thanks to these protocols, our clinicians are prepared to treat those with both a substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health condition.
To learn more about how Lakeside-Milam is celebrating National Recovery Month, or to receive a screening, contact us today.
