A
Family Secret?
A very special thank you goes out
to The Partnership at DrugFree.org and Join
Together.org for providing us with interviews
from both David Sheff, author of Beautiful Boy
and Nic his son, whom the book is written about.
Yes, addiction is a family disease, a truth that
many find difficult to embrace, and for some it
continues to remain a shameful secret.
I am one of many, who were taught
that alcoholism was not a topic for discussion. No
one in my home ever mentioned addiction as a
disease—yet the empty bottles we found seemed to
be members of the family.
Thankfully times have changed and addiction in its
many forms is no longer as hidden under the table as
it was in the past. Alcoholism affected my life
growing up whether I knew it or not at the time. My
journey into addiction certainly had an effect on
those who cared about me. I continue to be grateful
to this day to have been one of the fortunate ones
who made it out of that dark isolating
place—alive.
Statistics from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration) report that 80
percent of Americans have positive feelings about
prevention and recovery from substance use
disorders, and 75 percent of the population believes
that recovery is possible. The more we talk about it
openly, read the books from authors like David and
Nic Sheff and so many others, pay attention to what
is going on right before our eyes, in our homes,
community’s and workplaces, perhaps together, we
can hope to save just one more life from this
devastating and destructive disease.
As I write this, 27 year old singer,
songwriter, Amy Winehouse is being buried. Another
tragedy—another young life lost. Whether or not
Winehouse died as a direct result of her known past
drug use, this is another of the many wake ups calls
that magnifies the need for a supportive recovery
community.
My good friend Bobbe McGinley, put it
this way, "The only fight is to go in the
opposite direction of addiction, and that of course
is abstinence and recovery."
With that said, I invite you to join
the Arizona recovery community on Saturday September
24th at the Phoenix Convention for the 6th Annual
Art of Recovery Expo. We are proud to be part of
SAMHSA’s National Recovery Month, Faces and Voices
of Recovery and our collaboration with The
Partnership at DrugFree.org. Together we
inspire success on the road to recovery.
Expanded Issue
Along with the latest edition of
Magellan of Arizona’s, The M, this month we’ve
expanded our pages to provide more information. If
you’re curious about hoarding, don’t miss
Terence Shulman’s, Cluttered Lives, Empty
Souls. Chef Richard Serna from Cottonwood de
Tucson offers some tasty recipes for eating healthy
and Jan Hamilton of Doorways takes the mystery out
of antidepressants in her column, The Med
Minute.
Finally, a warm welcome our newest
advertiser, English Mountain Recovery
located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee,
you’ll see this is our first smart phone
compatible ad!
EMR
is on 27 acres of property that had once been a
resort and host to many dignitaries including U.S.
Congressmen and President Theodore Roosevelt.
English Mountain Recovery is dedicated to providing
the highest quality of recovery services to
individuals, and their families at the most
affordable costs.
Save
the date for the Expo and we will see you in
September.
