Recovery Day

Last updated

Recovery Day
Observed byCanada
Date September 30
Next time30 September 2022 (2022-09-30)
Frequencyannual

Recovery Day is an annual event, first held on September 30, 2012, which demonstrates and celebrates the ability of those with drug, alcohol and behavioral addictions to achieve long-term sobriety and live productive and healthy lives. The event was held in 12 major Canadian cities in 2013, 25 cities in 2014, and 30 cities in 2015. [1] Recovery Day is organized in part by Faces and Voices of Recovery. [2] Recovery Day is an important holiday for Canadians. [3]

Contents

Origins

AnnMarie McCullough and Lorinda Strang of the Orchard Recovery Center on Bowen Island developed the concept of Recovery Day based on similar recovery advocacy movements in the United States. [1] In the US, September is officially recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services) as "Recovery Month." [4] In order to build a strong team to lead their initiative, Lorinda and AnnMarie joined with David Berner and Chuck Doucette of the Drug Prevention Network of Canada as well as Giuseppe Ganci of the Last Door and they began planning a Canadian equivalent based on the same principle of celebrating recovery from addictions.

September 30, 2012 was declared Recovery Day through an official proclamation from Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. [5]

The idea of Recovery Day spread to other major Canadian cities such as Victoria [6] where a similar event was also held in Centennial Square. Ottawa's mayor signed a similar proclamation.

The following year, 12 cities hosted events. In 2014, 20 cities held Recovery Day events. Close to 30 cities held events in 2015.

Event

More than 600 people gathered in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on September 30, 2012. [1] The event included speakers sharing stories of their experience and gratitude, musical performances, speeches by local politicians (including MP John Weston, Parks Board Commissioner Constance Barnes, City Councilor Geoff Meggs, and MLA Randy Hawes) and a march through the streets of Downtown Vancouver. [1] [7] The event closed with over 400 people joining hands in a circle to recite the Serenity Prayer. [8]

Upcoming

Recovery Day is scheduled to be held in dozens of Canadian cities in September 2017.

Observances in the United States

On August 31, 2017, President Donald Trump proclaimed September as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

Rational Recovery was a commercial vendor of material related to counseling, guidance, and direct instruction for addiction designed as a direct counterpoint to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and twelve-step programs. Rational Recovery was founded in 1986 by Jack Trimpey, a California-licensed clinical social worker. Trimpey is a recovered alcoholic who works in the field of treatment of alcoholism and other drug addictions. Rational Recovery is a commercial trademark, along with the Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT). The organization published a periodical, the Journal of Rational Recovery, from at latest 1993 until at least June 2001. The former "Rational Recovery" website ("rational.org") is no longer active.

Jodie Sweetin American actress and television personality

Jodie Lee Ann Sweetin is an American actress and television personality. She is known for her role as Stephanie Tanner in the ABC comedy series Full House and its Netflix sequel series Fuller House.

Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues including disproportionately high levels of drug use, homelessness, poverty, crime, mental illness and sex work. It is also known for its strong community resilience, history of social activism, and artistic contributions.

Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent is to enable the patient to confront substance dependence, if present, and stop substance misuse to avoid the psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that can be caused.

Sobriety Condition of not having any measurable levels of alcohol or drugs

Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels or effects from alcohol or drugs. Sobriety is also considered to be the natural state of a human being at birth. A person in a state of sobriety is considered sober. Organizations of the temperance movement have encouraged sobriety as being normative in society.

Christopher Lawford American film producer

Christopher Kennedy Lawford was an American author, actor, and activist. He was a member of the prominent Kennedy family, and son of English actor Peter Lawford and Patricia "Pat" Kennedy Lawford, who was a sister of President John F. Kennedy. He graduated from Tufts University in 1977 and earned a law degree from Boston College in 1983. He later earned a master's certificate in Clinical Psychology from Harvard University and was a lecturer on drug addiction.

Drug courts are judicially supervised court dockets that provide a sentencing alternative of treatment combined with supervision for people living with serious substance use. Drug courts are problem-solving courts that take a public health approach using a specialized model in which the judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, mental health, social service, and treatment communities work together to help addicted offenders into long-term recovery.

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) is an American advocacy organization focused on alcoholism, drug addiction and the consequences of alcohol and other drug use. NCADD is built on a foundation of participation by members from the medical, scientific, political and social fields which provides a multi-pronged approach to the disease of alcohol and drug addiction. It has a national network of affiliates.

Sober living houses (SLHs), also called sober homes and sober living environments, are facilities that provide safe housing and supportive, structured living conditions for people exiting drug rehabilitation programs. SLHs serve as a transitional environment between such programs and mainstream society. Many SLHs also accept people who are in recovery from substance use disorders but have not recently completed a rehabilitation program.

Drug addiction recovery groups are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome their drug addiction. Different groups use different methods, ranging from completely secular to explicitly spiritual. Some programs may advocate a reduction in the use of drugs rather than outright abstention. One survey of members who found active involvement in any addiction recovery group correlates with higher chances of maintaining sobriety. Although there is not a difference in whether group or individual therapy is better for the patient, studies show that any therapy increases positive outcomes for patients with substance use disorder. The survey found group participation increased when the individual members' beliefs matched those of their primary support group. Analysis of the survey results found a significant positive correlation between the religiosity of members and their participation in twelve-step programs and to a lesser level in non-religious SMART Recovery groups, the correlation factor being three times smaller for SMART Recovery than for the twelve-step addiction recovery groups. Religiosity was inversely related to participation in Secular Organizations for Sobriety.

<i>Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew</i> American television series

Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, later called simply Rehab with Dr. Drew, is a reality television show that aired on the cable network VH1 in which many of the episodes chronicle a group of well-known people as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first five seasons of the series, on which Pinsky also serves as executive producer, cast celebrities struggling with addiction, with the first season premiering on January 10, 2008, and the fifth airing in 2011.

SMART Recovery is an international non-profit organization that provides assistance to individuals seeking abstinence from addiction. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. The SMART approach is secular and research-based, using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and non-confrontational motivational methods.

LifeRing Secular Recovery Addiction and recovery organization

LifeRing Secular Recovery is a secular, non-profit organization providing peer-run addiction recovery groups. The organization provides support and assistance to people seeking to recover from alcohol and drug addiction, and also assists partners, family members and friends of addicts or alcoholics. It is an abstinence-based recovery program with three fundamental principles: sobriety, secularity and self-empowerment. The motto of LifeRing is "empower your sober self."

Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), also known as Save Our Selves, is a non-profit network of autonomous addiction recovery groups. The program stresses the need to place the highest priority on sobriety and uses mutual support to assist members in achieving this goal. The Suggested Guidelines for Sobriety emphasize rational decision-making and are not religious or spiritual in nature. SOS represents an alternative to the spiritually based addiction recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). SOS members may also attend AA meetings, but SOS does not view spirituality or surrendering to a Higher Power as being necessary to maintain abstinence.

On August 3, 1990, President of the United States George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month. The bill read in part that "the President has authorized and requested to call upon Federal, State and local Governments, groups and organizations and the people of the United States to observe such month with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities". This landmark bill honoring America's tribal people represented a major step in the establishment of this celebration which began in 1976 when a Cherokee/Osage Indian named Jerry C. Elliott-High Eagle authored Native American Awareness Week legislation the first historical week of recognition in the nation for native peoples. This led to 1986 with then President Ronald Reagan proclaiming November 23–30, 1986, as "American Indian Week".

Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre

The Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre, or AARC, is a drug rehabilitation centre for adolescents and family members located in Calgary, Alberta. AARC specializes in treating young people suffering from drug addiction and alcoholism, and takes in clients who have been thought of as being too far-gone for recovery. The AARC program is a multifaceted drug treatment program that uses twelve-step recovery processes, peer pressure, family and group therapy. A survey conducted by AARC found they had an 80% success rate, and that former addicts can permanently abstain from using drugs or alcohol following treatment at the centre. Another study found that the "AARC program is a unique model for comprehensive, long-term adolescent substance use treatment with a high rate of treatment completion (80.5%)."

Recovery coaching is a form of strengths-based support for people with addictions or in recovery from alcohol, other drugs, codependency, or other addictive behaviors. They work with people who have active addictions, as well as those already in recovery. Recovery coaches are helpful for making decisions about what to do with one's life and the part addiction or recovery plays in it. They help clients find ways to stop addiction (abstinence), or reduce harm associated with addictive behaviors. These coaches can help a client find resources for harm reduction, detox, treatment, family support and education, local or online support groups; or help a client create a change plan to recover on their own.

Tim Ryan (recovery advocate)

Tim Ryan is an American activist, drug abuse interventionist, author and speaker. He is the Founder and Executive director of “A Man in Recovery” foundation. According to the National Safety Council, Ryan is notable for his position in favor of Drug policy reform and as a proponent of legislative change in American drug policy. His work was the subject of the A&E series “Dope Man” in July 2017. Ryan is also the author of the book “From Dope to Hope: A Man in Recovery” published in 2017.

Ricky Byrd American musician

Ricky Byrd is a rock and roll guitar player, singer, songwriter and producer. He spent over a decade as a member of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, where he contributed music and background vocals to two platinum albums, I Love Rock 'n Roll and Up Your Alley, the gold certified Album, and four others for the band.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Celebrating People in Recovery". Bowen Island Undercurrent. September 27, 2012. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  2. "Faces and Voices of Recovery" . Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  3. "Recovery Day" . Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  4. "September is National Recovery Month". Cherokee Chronicle Times. September 21, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  5. "Vancouver Rally Brings Out Faces and Voices of Recovery". Metro News. September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  6. "Recovery Day is a Reason for Celebration". Times Colonist. September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  7. "Former Addicts Show Support for Recovery Programs". CTV. September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  8. "Recovery Day Hundreds Rally at Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday to Celebrate Sobriety". The Province. September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. Office of the Press Secretary (August 31, 2017). "President Donald J. Trump Proclaims September 2017 as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month". Washington, D.C.: White House. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  10. "National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, 2017". Federal Register . Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. August 31, 2017. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017. Alt URL