MENTAL-HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE-USE ISSUES DON’T DISCRIMINATE— a truth that became all too evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with its associated stressors such as the fear of getting sick, isolation, job loss or income insecurity, the shift from in-person to virtual learning for students, and other disruptions to normal activities and interactions.
Of course, the behavioral-health challenges confronting our community and nation didn’t begin and won’t end with COVID-19. For example, the staggering epidemic of opiate/ opioid abuse continues unabated both nationally and locally, and other forms of dependency—for example to alcohol or cocaine—still present a challenge. And, COVID or no COVID, every year, millions of Americans are affected by mental-health conditions— a problem that often goes hand in hand with substance abuse and addiction.
Because people of any background can experience mental-health and substance-abuse issues, it’s vital that any efforts to promote recovery reach people of all demographics. That’s why the chosen theme for this year’s National Recovery Month is “Recovery is For Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community.”
Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Recovery Month is “a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives.”
This annual commemoration also shines a spotlight on the strides and successes achieved in the field of behavioral health and reinforces the message that, with proper treatment, anyone grappling with mental-health or substance-abuse problems can join the ranks of the millions of Americans whose lives have already been transformed through recovery.
What’s more, this year’s National Recovery Month, with its powerful, reassuring message that “recovery is for everyone,” helps to further reduce the stigma that, unfortunately, has long been associated with behavioral health problems. When people come to appreciate that many of their family members, friends, and coworkers are dealing with the same or similar issues, they quickly realize that they’re not alone in their struggle and may be more likely to seek help when they need it.
Examples of the stigmatizing misconceptions commonly held about people with mental-health or substance- use disorders include:
They could solve their own problem if they would just think positively
Negative thought patterns can be improved dramatically with proper treatment; however, just as a person with diabetes or heart disease can’t “think away” his or her condition, individuals with mood disorders or other forms of mental illness cannot “snap out of it,” “cheer up,” or “chill out” simply by deciding to think or feel differently.
They are violent and dangerous
Taken as a group, people with mental illness are no more violent than people without mental illness. In fact, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), people with mental illness are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it.
They are too weak to handle the rigors of work or school
Mental illness stems from a variety of biological and environmental factors, not individual weakness. Many people with mental illness are quite capable of holding up under the pressures of work, school, and day-to-day life because they’ve learned certain skills and techniques that help them cope with and adapt to stress before it reaches an unmanageable level.
They are strange and unpredictable
Some forms of mental illness can manifest through odd or unpredictable behaviors, but many people with mental illness lead active, productive lives without anyone around them knowing what they’re going through. Those who do exhibit unusual behaviors as a result of their illness can often learn to recognize and manage them effectively through proper treatment.
They have a problem that will never affect me
According to NAMI, one in five American adults experiences mental illness each year, so it’s the rare individual whose life will never be touched by it. Those who think no one close to them has mental illness might be surprised to learn that a friend, family member, coworker, or acquaintance lives and functions with mental illness every day. Whether experienced firsthand or not, mental illness affects everyone.
Dedicating the month of September to shine a spotlight on the people who are succeeding in recovery—as well as on the treatments, services, and individuals that helped them get where they are—is the best way to dispel these and other persistent myths related to mental illness and substance abuse.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or a mental-health disorder, it’s time to stop suffering in silence. Help and hope are closer than you think. Our community offers a wide range of services and resources to put people who are struggling with substance abuse and/or mental illness firmly on the path to recovery. Read on to find an organization and program that fits your needs. ✲
