Recovery Month – September 2022
This month, charities and organisations across the UK and beyond our celebrating Recovery Month!
Faces and Voices of Recovery, who pioneered the Recovery Month movement, shared this about their theme and ideas:
Recovery Month increases awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders and encourages individuals in need of treatment and recovery services to seek help. Recovery Month celebrates individuals living lives in recovery and recognizes the dedicated workers who provide the prevention, treatment, and recovery support services that help make recovery possible.
Recovery is for everyone because it benefits everyone. In recovery, we build new connections to ourselves, our families, and our communities. The Recovery Month tagline, “Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community” reminds people in recovery and those who support them, that recovery belongs to all of us. We are all called to end gatekeeping and welcome everyone to recovery by lowering barriers to recovery support, creating inclusive spaces and programs, and broadening our understanding of what recovery means for people with different experiences. While it may be tempting to characterize recovery as a universal experience or single journey, our community is proof that there are as many pathways to and of recovery as there are people. Our strength is our diversity and because of who we are, the recovery community has unique opportunities to learn, challenge, grow, and dream. By expanding traditional, limited conceptions of recovery, which center on white, heterosexual, cisgender, religious, wealthy perspectives, we enrich everyone’s experience. Mental health and substance use disorder are not one-size-fits-all conditions, nor do they affect everyone equally. Looking beyond our individual experiences strengthens and supports recovery in all its forms. The recovery community has a powerful foundation of mutual aid, peer support, and adaptability. As we grow in empathy and understanding, we save lives by adding protective factors and building resiliency. Our “I” must become our “we.”
Recovery Month educates others about recovery from mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and recovery support services, and that recovery is possible. All of us, from celebrities and sports figures to our co-workers, neighbours, friends, and family members, throughout our lives have experienced peaks and valleys, both big and small. And, with strength, support and hope from the people we love, we are resilient.
The level of understanding and compassion shown by all … from the initial helpline call to the partnership I established with my recovery coach, has made my recovery journey life-changing. – Don, 34. Employed.
Kennedy Street For Communities:
At Kennedy Street, we are passionate about reaching those in our community who are seeking recovery. This is the reason that we are launching our Recovery Hub in Brighton this October! Our new Recovery Hub will be the home for all our work at Kennedy Street. From drop-in sessions, fellowship meetings and sober socials, to business-for-good and volunteer training, our Hub will be a welcoming home from which to support the community and promote recovery in Brighton and beyond. The Kennedy Street Hub provides a safe space for people to find out about recovery options and to come together to meet and learn from peers who are in recovery.
We offer recovery support and coaching, workshops to help personal development and future employment potential, and there are always volunteering opportunities to help others. We work intensively with people, giving wrap-around support to help them sort out sometimes chaotic lives, and mentoring and coaching to help them sustain their recovery.
We are so grateful for all those who have helped us already in getting our Hub ready – from gardening and painting, to donating resources and doing odd jobs – we are so pleased to see everything coming together! But, to allow our Hub to keep running, and to really make a difference in the lives of those in our community, we are seeking funding towards our ongoing work.
If you want to get involved, and play your part in celebrating and promoting recovery in Brighton and beyond, check out our fundraising page and see what a difference your support can make!
“Trust me these people save lives! Thanks to the support and guidance I received, I was able to stay in work whilst establishing a plan of action with my recovery coach.” – Rose, employed, LGBTQ+
Kennedy Street For People:
We aim to support all individuals who struggle with any addiction who are seeking recovery or who are concerned about their loved ones addiction. We understand that addiction a hugely diverse issue – any person can develop an addiction to any thing – from drugs and alcohol, to sex and relationships, to gambling or technology. We want to meet people where they are at in their recovery journey, and get them connected with the best support available for them. Check out our blog post and podcast discussing the difference between women and men when it comes to recovery. Our Resource List provides recovery support options that cover a huge variety of addictions, needs, and options, to help you find what support is right for you.
Kennedy Street For Families:
We recognise that addiction doesn’t just impact the individual, but has huge repercussions for family members, too. We want to support those affected and provide advice and resources not only to encourage the addict to receive support, but help loved ones to deal with the impact the addiction has on themselves. Listen to our podcast on Family Recovery and check out our Resource List for information on services for family and friends of addicts.