PEOPLE OF ANY BACKGROUND can experience mental-health and substance-use issues—a truth that has been 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.
In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a web-based survey of 5,470 US adults conducted in late June of 2020 found that 40.9% of respondents experienced “an adverse mental or behavioral health condition, including those who reported symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder (30.9%), those with TSRD [trauma/stressor-related disorder] symptoms related to COVID-19 (26.3%), those who reported having started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19 (13.3%), and those who reported having seriously considered suicide in the preceding 30 days (10.7%).”
The survey further revealed that mental health outcomes, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation were disproportionately worse among younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid caregivers.
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.
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.
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.
Because mental health and substance abuse issues don’t discriminate, it’s vital that any efforts to promote recovery reach people of all demographics.
