September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 | 08:26am
NASHVILLE – September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery month. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this event, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities would like to recognize all Tennesseans who are currently in recovery and those who are working toward recovery from past drug and alcohol abuse. With proper treatment and supports, recovery is definitely possible for all persons facing the illness of drug and alcohol abuse.
"Alcohol and drug use disorders have devastating health and societal consequences, and no community or family is immune to these serious health problems," said TDMHDD Commissioner Virginia Trotter Betts. "This month provides an opportunity to highlight the benefits of alcohol and drug treatment and encourage people with drug and alcohol abuse issues to begin their journey of recovery."
The Recovery Month 2009 theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal” emphasizes the need to use all available resources, both in our communities and on the Internet, to educate people about the disease of addiction; how to seek help; and strategies to promote healing. Recovery Month celebrates the successes of people in recovery and acknowledges men and women in the treatment field who dedicate their lives to helping people with alcohol and drug use disorders.
“Preventing and treating substance use disorders is a significant public health issue,” said Bruce Emery, assistant commissioner of the department’s Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. “The impact of not preventing and treating addiction is profound on communities, families, and governments. Recovery Month increases public understanding of and brings much needed attention to addiction as a chronic, progressive disease that is both preventable and treatable.”
Please visit www.recoverymonth.gov for information on the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. For information about Recovery Month events and additional resources on mental health and substance abuse information, please contact the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities’ Office of Communications at (615) 253-4812 or visit www.tn.gov/mental.