National Recovery Month

Every September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors National Recovery Month. The goal is to promote and reinforce the message that behavior health is  essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover. This year’s theme is Join the Voices for Recovery: Visible, Vocal, Valuable! It highlights the importance of peer support in educating, mentoring and helping others. The theme encourages individuals in recovery and their support systems to become advocates and start conversations in their communities about prevention, treatment, and recovery.
You may not think mental illness and substance abuse affects that many people, but did you know that by 2020, mental and substance use disorders will surpass all physical diseases as a major cause of disability worldwide. This staggering statistic illustrates the fact that all countries need to make mental health a priority. If we want to have a healthy society, we can’t ignore mental health.

Fast Facts: Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse in the United States

• Among adults aged 18 or older, 43.8 million (18.5% of adults) had any mental illness in the past year
• Among the 43.8 million adults aged 18 or older with any mental illness, only 44.7% received mental health services in the past year.
• On average, more than 33,000 Americans died each year between 2001 and 2009 as a result of suicide—more than 1 person every 15 minutes.
• Suicide was the second leading cause of death individuals aged 15 to 34
• Among people aged 12 or older, 21.6 million people (8.2 % of this population) were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year.
• In 2013, 8.8% of youth aged 12 to 17 were current illicit drug users and 11.6% were current alcohol users.  In addition, 5.2% of this age group was considered to have a substance use disorder in the past year.

Why Aren’t People Getting Treatment?

Although 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental disorder, only about one third receive treatment. While not the sole reason, the stigma associated with mental illness and substance abuse prevents millions from seeking treatment.  A 2010 study from the American Journal of Psychiatry found that more people have started to believe mental illness is a biological condition instead of a character flaw over the years, but despite the attitude shift, they still don’t want to associate with people who have a diagnosed condition. When the survey participants were asked their opinions of people with depression, 53% said they didn’t want to work closely with a person with depression, 70% didn’t want to socialize with them and 79% didn’t want to be friends with them. 
Knowing these opinions are common, it isn’t surprising that people with a mental illness or substance use disorder fear workplace discrimination and social rejection. That is exactly why this year’s Recovery Month theme is encouraging everyone to start conversations and work towards erasing the stigma.

What Can You Do?

Start a conversation. Share your story. Whether you are a person in recovery or a family member supporting a loved one, you have a story to tell. Sharing it can help others in the same situation. If you have recovered, you can offer peer support and inspire those who are just beginning the process. Family members can offer coping strategies and tips for getting through tough times. The goal is to start a dialogue that will help educate everyone. We often fear the unknown. Mental illness and addiction are misunderstood and we never hear the positive stories in the news. The truth is there are millions of people, with a mental illness or substance use disorder, who are in recovery and are living full lives; they have families, hold down a job and contribute to society in a meaningful way. You can share your story on the Recovery Month website.

Resources

Young People in Recovery: Creates and cultivates local community-led recovery chapters that support young people in or seeking recovery by empowering them to obtain stable employment, secure suitable housing, and explore continuing education.
Active Minds: Lists external resources about mental health for students, multicultural organizations, and LGBT communities.
Transforming Youth Recovery: Works with recovery communities to increase recovery success for students struggling with addiction. Uses the real world experiences of students in recovery to educate the public about addiction and to connect students and their families to recovery support services
Mental Health First Aid: Offers training through an eight-hour course to help communities identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders
Al-Anon Family Groups: Offers the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others who have coped or are coping with a loved one with a drinking problem.
Alcoholics Anonymous: An international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem.
Mental Health America – Mental Illness and the Family: Recognizing Warning Signs and How to Cope: Provides information on how to recognize mental illness and resources for those coping with someone with a mental illness.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Family Support Group : Provides a peer-led support group for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness.
The 20 Minute Guide: Offers a set of interactive tools and strategies for any family member or friend who wants to help a loved one get help for a substance use disorder.
Faces & Voices of Recovery: Organizes and mobilizes individuals in recovery, as well as their families and friends.
Find more resources on the SAMHSA website.