TO THE EDITOR:
All around us in Chapel Hill, people are in recovery from mental and/or substance use disorders.
They are contributing to our businesses, connecting with their families and giving back to the community.
But if we want more people to join them on a path of recovery, we need to take action.
Too many people are still unaware that prevention works and that these conditions can be treated, just like we can treat other health disorders such as diabetes and hypertension.
We need to work together to make recovery the expectation. We can’t get discouraged by the prevalence of these problems, because help is available.
In fact, in 2010, 31.3 million adults received services for mental health problems and 2.6 million people aged 12 or older who needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol problem received treatment at a specialty facility in the past year.
They need the support of a welcoming community to help them on their path of long-term recovery.
To further educate communities about the pathways to recovery and to support people in recovery, every September, people throughout the nation celebrate National Recovery Month, an initiative sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
