Answer Addiction

Tag: people in recovery

  • Woman Gives Back To Recovery Community With Chicken Lunches 

    Woman Gives Back To Recovery Community With Chicken Lunches 

    The lunches are served at the “recovery cafe,” which houses a memorial book with the names of those lost to addiction, including the woman’s husband. 

    Elaine Bradley, a 61-year-old English woman in recovery, chooses to help others walking the same path—but not through traditional means. 

    Instead, Bradley serves up chicken. 

    According to The Guardian, Bradley lost her husband to alcohol use disorder 11 years ago and battled it herself before getting sober six years ago. 

    She now volunteers at a local recovery center, where she runs a Thursday chicken lunch club which provides a space for those in recovery or who are seeking recovery to discuss what they are experiencing. She also heads up the peer-mentoring group meetings. 

    “You’ve got to talk to each other,” Bradley tells the Guardian. “They all sit and chat about this, that and the other and they open up a bit more.”

    The Recovery Cafe

    The space where Bradley serves her well-loved chicken is referred to as the “recovery cafe.” It houses a memorial book with the names of those lost to substance use disorder, including Bradley’s husband. 

    For Bradley, the space is a homey one. “It’s a nice feel when you walk in here, although it’s blooming hot,” Bradley said. “You know everyone by first names and they all know us. They know that they can trust us.”

    The need for such services in Essex is greater now than ever, as there were recently six fatalities in three days due to suspected drug use. Additionally, Public Health England statistics indicate that the area sees higher-than-average death rates from illicit substances.

    “It’s sad, but what can you do? The help is here if they want it,” Bradley said. 

    Dr. Ahmad Muhamed, an addiction psychiatry specialist, tells the Guardian that he treats patients struggling with a variety of substances. Often, he says, they’re prescribed medications like methadone to help them taper off the drugs. 

    “It varies from one patient to another because you have to take into account a lot of factors: their physical health, their mental health, their socioeconomic status,” he said. “Even if they have been on it for years, the end goal is for them to come off it.”

    According to Bradley, the area could benefit from spaces like the recovery cafe. 

    “To be honest, I think Southend needs a lot more of these places because the work we do here, I think, is amazing,” she said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sober Bars, Mocktails Becoming More Mainstream

    Sober Bars, Mocktails Becoming More Mainstream

    Sober bars give people in recovery a place to hang out without putting their sobriety at risk.

    “Mocktail” is a term that people who don’t drink alcohol may be familiar with. These non-alcoholic drinks are being served across the U.S., as abstinence and moderation gain popularity.

    Sober bars give people in recovery a place to hang out without putting their sobriety at risk.

    As Marketplace reports, there is a growing number of sober bars that have opened around the country, including Listen Bar in New York and Sans Bar in Texas. Listen Bar’s slogan is “All Bar No Booze,” and they serve herbal drinks like “She Pretty” and “Ghost me Maybe.”

    According to the bar’s official website, Listen Bar is “a booze-free bar in NYC rewriting nightlife beyond alcohol… [our] rowdy vibes have drawn a following among drinkers and non-drinkers alike.”

    Chris Marshall, the founder of Sans Bar in Austin, Texas, says, “We handcraft our own specialty ‘mocktails’—things like a rosemary and ginger mule, or a sans-garita, which incorporates lime, agave and apple cider vinegar.”

    Marshall’s plans for Sans Bar are ambitious. It has a second location in Kansas City, and has also hosted booze-free events in St. Louis, Portland and Alaska.

    With “sober curious” becoming a growing trend and non-drinking events like Dry January also gaining global popularity, Marshall feels there’s a lot of growth potential for the sober bar industry.

    “Dry January was this kind of small, inside-baseball thing five years ago,” Marshall explains. “[It’s] now a huge marketing opportunity for brands.”

    One of the big keys to sober bars is emphasizing that you can have a good time without getting drunk.

    On Sans Bar’s website, it states, “We are a growing group of average people who recognize that life can be fun without alcohol. We are sober, we are on the move, and we believe that real connection happens when people are sober… We believe positive change can happen in the smallest ways, and still yield a tremendous impact.”

    Another sober bar is The Other Side in Illinois. As the bar’s co-founder, Chris Reed, told The Fix, having a sober bar “helps people stay plugged in and close to others in recovery… It brings us together and it shows us recovery doesn’t suck, that you can still socialize.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sober Krew Turns Sobriety Support On Its Head

    Sober Krew Turns Sobriety Support On Its Head

    “The man above has blessed me with this talent to skate on my hands, so I use it to share my story in the skate parks,” said the founder of the Sober Crew.

    Nate Provost has an unusual talent: he can ride his skateboard on his hands. Not just for a moment, but for up to half a mile. While that may seem like a useless, if impressive, party trick, it does have a purpose—Provost uses it to grab people’s attention and talk to them about sobriety. 

    “The man above has blessed me with this talent to skate on my hands, so I use it to share my story in the skate parks,” Provost, who lives in Oregon, told The Mail Tribune. 

    Provost’s story is not a particularly happy one. He started using drugs at a young age and estimates that he has lost most than 100 friends to overdoses and accidents caused by drug use. He himself almost died in a horrible car crash. Instead, he survived and vowed to get sober. 

    Today, Provost is more than three years sober, and has started a thriving Facebook group to support people in recovery. The group, Sober Krew, has more than 9,000 members, all of whom come to get and give support. Provost and his sponsor, David Genesis, started the group as a way to give back. 

    “As we found recovery and turned our lives around, we knew we wanted to give back. We want to provide a bright, supportive environment when people are in need of support in recovery,” Genesis said. 

    Provost, 33, says he keeps a close eye on the page so that the tone remains upbeat. 

    “There is no negativity allowed,” he said. The group is an important lifeline for many, and has even reached out to people who were contemplating suicide. The group also welcomes people who are still struggling with addiction but are trying to get sober. 

    Provost and Genesis said they grew up middle class in loving families, but still fell victim to drugs. 

    “I came from a great family. I just chose a dark path. (Because of it) I had a rough life and eventually pushed my family away,” Provost said. Luckily, in recovery he has reconnected with his family, including his three kids. 

    When he was using, Provost did virtually any drugs he could get his hands on. 

    “I would go to parties and immediately head to the bathroom or the kitchen. That’s where it all goes down. I wasn’t there for the party. I was there for the drugs,” he said. 

    However, today he realizes that his life is better without substances. 

    “My life’s good right now,” he said. “I am not numb anymore. I hear birds chirp… which I never did before. I am grateful.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • The High Financial Cost Of Addiction & Recovery

    The High Financial Cost Of Addiction & Recovery

    A new survey highlights the financial hardships that people with addiction face.

    Addiction and recovery come with huge emotional costs, for the person with substance use disorder and for their family members. Yet, there is also a very real financial cost to both active addiction and recovery — one that can affect family members and people with substance use disorder in the short and long term.

    According to a recent survey by True Link Financial, 82% of family members said their loved one’s finances have been affected by their addiction. People who are addicted need a constant stream of cash to fund their drug purchases.

    Survey respondents also said their loved ones had made irresponsible financial decisions to fund their addiction: 48% said their family member had used savings or retirement money to purchase drugs; 42% had family members who sold assets to fund their addiction; and 11% had family members who had declared bankruptcy in part because of their addiction.

    However, the challenge doesn’t stop when people get sober.

    “Treatment is extraordinarily expensive, and it often takes a couple of tries,” Kai Stinchcombe, True Link’s co-founder and CEO, told Forbes.

    Eighty percent of respondents said that getting on track financially is one of the biggest challenges of recovery for their family members.

    “Being able to make typical day-to-day purchases, like putting gas in your car to get to work, or taking a new friend out for coffee, is critical,” Stinchcombe said. “Having no safe, dignified way to pay for basic items makes it harder to build yourself a new life. Recovery is not just tough physically, mentally, and spiritually. There are financial barriers in place that make it harder to build yourself a new life.”

    True Link is known for making debit cards that have limitations, like only working at certain locations, helping family members guide purchases for adults. Although it’s usually used for adults with disabilities, Stinchcombe said that the cards can be a tool for people in recovery.

    Eric Dresdale, who is in recovery, said he was used to borrowing money when he was addicted, but when he got sober and had access to more money, he began spending recklessly.

    “I realized I could take out money and in about a week I spent $500 on silly things to fill an emotional void,” he said, adding that he was about $7,000 in debt by the time he left a half-way house program. After regaining control of his own finances, Dresdale went on to help develop a prepaid debit card for people with substance use disorder and mental illnesses. He says that cards like this can help family members provide support, without enabling.

    “I’ve worked with families and there’s a fine line between helping and hurting,” he said. “You might think you are saving or protecting someone by giving financial support, but you could be making the problem worse. I believe in providing financial help with boundaries.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Initiative Helps Make Workplaces Recovery Friendly

    New Initiative Helps Make Workplaces Recovery Friendly

    More than 70 businesses are participating in the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative. 

    Many people who struggle with substance use disorder find that while getting sober is one challenge, reintegrating into society and finding a job can be another huge barrier to long-term recovery. In New Hampshire, a statewide initiative is aiming to make holding down a job a little easier for people in recovery. 

    The Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, which has more than 70 participating businesses, provides employers with resources and support to help employees in recovery succeed. Hypertherm, a tool manufacturer based in Lebanon, New Hampshire, is one of the most enthusiastic adopters of the program. 

    “We’re here. We understand,” Jenny Levy, Hypertherm’s vice president of people, community and environment, told The Washington Post. “If you’re seeking recovery, we’re here for you.”

    Employers in the initiative are more open to employees with criminal records or gaps in employment. They also may provide services like training in how to use naloxone. Overall, having an open commitment to supporting employees in recovery can help cut down on stigma. In turn, employment can help build the self-worth of people in early recovery. 

    “There’s not a whole lot of pride that goes into being a user,” said Kenny Sawyer, who has worked at Hypertherm for eight years, following years of drug abuse and homelessness. 

    David Mara, New Hampshire’s drug czar, said that holding down a job is an important accomplishment for people in recovery, not just because it is sometimes part of probation conditions. 

    “One of the most important things that people in recovery talk about is how it feels, with their self-worth and identity, getting employed again,” Mara said. 

    Of course, the program also has benefits for the companies that participate. New Hampshire has the third-highest overdose rate in the nation but also one of the lowest unemployment rates, at just 2.7%. 

    “Basically, everyone in New Hampshire is employed,” Mara said. 

    In that environment, opening employment opportunities to people who may otherwise be seen as less desirable candidates can help companies get ahead, and helping employees stay sober — and employed — keeps the businesses rolling. 

    Kevin Flynn, director of communications and public policy for New Hampshire’s Business and Industry Association, said that in a state where addiction is prevalent, employers have had to deal with the toll addiction takes on their employees. 

    “Most thoughtful business leaders want to do the right thing by their employees when it comes to addiction, and to [addiction in] their families,” he said.

    Levy, of Hypertherm, said that that commitment is returned. Employees “who are supported through their recovery are incredibly loyal,” he said. “They make great workers.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Runners In Recovery Conquer The NYC Marathon

    Runners In Recovery Conquer The NYC Marathon

    “It’s a miracle story. This group, last year, some were in prison, now they are in the program running the New York City Marathon.”

    More than 50,000 people ran in this year’s New York City Marathon on Sunday (Nov. 4). Among them was team Odyssey House, a small group of people in recovery.

    The team of 45 runners included 19 current clients, alumni and supporters, ranging in age from 25 to 72 years old.

    “It’s a miracle story. This group, last year, some were in prison, now they are in the program running the New York City Marathon,” said Odyssey House CEO John Tavolacci, who has run 22 marathons. “I always tell people, society gave up on this group, I tell them everyone has given up on you. This is your opportunity to prove them wrong. This is part of their recovery.”

    Since 2001, the program has seen 500 clients compete in 19 marathons.

    John Kane of Long Island, 47, is in recovery from painkillers and heroin. He has been sober for 1 year and 7 months. “Through hard work with counselors and joining the running team, I’ve overcome my addiction. Running has become my passion. I help train new clients as a volunteer and hopefully they have the same experience I did,” he said.

    Kane says the demand of running the 26.2-mile trek requires skills that are “transferable” to any part of life.

    “The hard work, the perseverance, the dedication it takes to run a marathon can cross over into your everyday life—as far as setting a goal, working toward that goal and achieving that goal,” he said to the New York Times.

    Running, and exercise in general, are popular among people in recovery. An exercise routine can provide structure in early recovery—not to mention the health benefits of improving one’s fitness and a natural feeling of euphoria that come with it.

    “I like the way I feel after a run. I may not want to start running. At the beginning I’m like, ‘I really don’t want to go for this run,’ to be honest. But then I know how I’m going to feel afterward. It replaces the adrenaline that I was looking for when I was using drugs,” says 36-year-old Ryan Stevens, an Odyssey House alumni. Stevens ran her fourth marathon this year.

    This was the 21st marathon for Andre Matthews of the Bronx, 58, who coaches the Odyssey House runners. “I find that when you stay connected in recovery, it’s one addict helping another. It’s a parallel process as you grow and mature in recovery and continue to be a part of people in their recovery, it also benefits you,” said Matthews, who has 20 years of sobriety.

    Matthews’ sister and assistant coach, Sylvia Hyman, has run for the last 10 years to support her brother. “It’s absolutely incredible,” she said. “I was on the sideline watching Andre for so many years… These guys are athletes. It’s like a blessing, they’re like family, it’s inspiring… if they can do it, anyone can do it.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Woman Uses Creative Writing To Help Ex-Offenders In Recovery

    Woman Uses Creative Writing To Help Ex-Offenders In Recovery

    “I learned how to live again, how to feel comfortable in my own skin. She’s a Godsend,” says one of Rebecca Conviser’s students.

    It was a cancer diagnosis that first got Rebecca Conviser interested in the power of words. If the Morristown, New Jersey woman didn’t make it through, she wanted to leave behind words for her husband and children. 

    But Conviser did make it through, and now she is using the power of words for something else—helping those in recovery from substance use disorder. 

    According to NJ.com, for the past six years, 79-year-old Conviser as has been volunteering her time by teaching the “Creative Positive Expression Program” to ex-offenders. Rather than jail time, these individuals have been recommended to the drug court programs in Morris and Sussex counties in New Jersey. 

    Thomas Brodhecker, 27, of Sussex County, has been in the program for two years. Since he first entered the program, his opinion of the role of writing in recovery has changed drastically. He says that through writing he has been able to peel back emotional aspects of his life that played into his use of drugs. 

    “I learned how to live again, how to feel comfortable in my own skin,” Brodhecker said. “She’s a Godsend.”

    Conviser fell into her role teaching the writing course after overhearing a conversation at a local coffee shop about the obstacles ex-offenders face when trying to find employment.

    She engaged with the group, which led to her meeting Charles Johnson Jr., the drug court director of Morris County. Johnson thought the writing program would be beneficial for ex-offenders when it came to writing resumes and cover letters. 

    However, the program goes beyond writing employment materials. For Anthony Justo, 27, of Morristown, Conviser’s passion for the program led him to be more accepting of his past. 

    “She presented these assignments with a fiery passion,” Justo told NJ.com. “She was lit up about helping people become better writers and better people.”

    In addition to the writing course, Conviser has helped ex-offenders with public speaking and telling their stories. She has headed up a jail cell presentation, in which school students stand in a 4×6 area designed to resemble a jail cell for 90 seconds to get a taste of what confinement is like for inmates. 

    Conviser says that when it comes to helping people change their lives, persistence is key. “I’m not one of these people who say, ‘oh well, it didn’t work.’ My feeling is well, it didn’t work, we have to move on,” she said.

    Despite her own personal challenges, including two cancer diagnoses and a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, Conviser says she plans to continue to volunteer, though she has had to slow down a bit. 

    “I’m a person who gives back,” Conviser said. “As long as I can help people, I’m going to continue to do this.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Mom Starts Addiction Recovery Photo Project After Son’s Overdose Death

    Mom Starts Addiction Recovery Photo Project After Son’s Overdose Death

    The photo documentary project aims to promote recovery and reduce the stigma surrounding addiction. 

    Simone Ochrym lost her 26-year-old son the same day that she had begged for him to return to treatment for his opioid addiction.

    After a decade of drug abuse, recovery “was not in the cards” for Ochrym’s child. The Democrat and Chronicle interviewed Ochrym about her new photo project that includes 15 portraits and narratives of people in recovery from addiction.

    The project, entitled “ChasingNirvanaClean: The Addiction Recovery Project,” was birthed from a question: “I wanted to know, ‘How and why did you go from being an active user to wanting to go into recovery?’” Ochrym said.

    The photo documentary debuts September 7th, nearly two years after her son’s death. The photos are displayed at Flower City Arts Center in Rochester, New York.

    The project’s website states: “The purpose is to explore the how and the why people enter and stay in addiction recovery. It is by exploration of those in addiction recovery that we will find the answers to fight emerging and chronic addiction in our communities.

    The goals of the ‘ChasingNirvanaClean’ project are promoting that recovery is possible for all types of addiction, reducing the social stigma of addiction, and promoting peer-mentoring models of addiction treatment, 12-step programs, and old and new diverse methods of addiction recovery.”

    One documentary subject is Jeff Williams, who lost both his older brother and an uncle to opioid overdose. Jeff began using at age 12 or 13, and his addiction progressed rapidly. After gaining sobriety through a rehabilitation outpatient program, Jeff began drinking again in his early 20s. It was when he lost his best drinking buddy that he realized how isolated and self-destructive he felt.

    On “ChasingNirvanaClean,” Jeff says, “I had one last drink the night before I got sober. I went to a psychiatrist and told him I needed help. He gave me some medications for depression and generalized anxiety. That was when I got sober.”

    Jeff continued to struggle with mental health issues and it was not until he fully embraced therapy and medication that he was able to achieve sobriety and stability.

    Jeff’s imparted advice to the loved ones of someone with active addiction, “The best thing you can do is show your love, your compassion, and if they made that decision to become sober, they can come to you for that help. Showing that you will accept all of them, even the bad parts, makes it less scary for them to ask for help and can encourage them to get the help they need.”

    “I always see people either working in prevention or working in crisis, but I think the only way to figure out prevention is to hear the stories of people who have achieved long-term recovery,” Ochrym told the Democrat and Chronicle.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Restaurant That Gives Second Chances To People In Recovery Gets Rave Reviews

    Restaurant That Gives Second Chances To People In Recovery Gets Rave Reviews

    DV8 Kitchen provides a supportive, flexible work environment to ensure employees are “meeting their goals and staying on a good path.”

    One restaurant is not only giving people in recovery a second chance—they’re doing it incredibly well.

    DV8 Kitchen, which was recently featured in The Fix, opened last September, but it’s already garnered rave reviews and five stars on Yelp.

    All 25 employees at DV8 are in recovery from substance use disorder. Co-owner Rob Perez himself has 28 years of recovery. “I was a binge drinker. I didn’t have to drink everyday but when I did, I would frequently get out of control,” he told The Fix.

    With his Lexington, Kentucky eatery, Perez has created a workplace that caters to recovery. “Our staff don’t leave programs or meetings or houses and come to a foreign environment 40 hours a week, they come to a place where we all speak the same language, have the same customs, and discussions, so it’s a 24/7 program,” said Perez.

    The restaurant functions around the needs of the employees. For example, as Perez explained to the Dayton Daily News, DV8 does not open for dinner service so that employees may attend meetings, and tips are split evenly and added to paychecks instead of giving out cash.

    Schedules are flexible and work to fit in mandatory appointments for court or treatment centers, and each Tuesday a guest speaker comes in, covering topics including health and wellness, financial responsibility, teamwork and mindfulness.

    The restaurant works in partnership with treatment centers, where most new employees are hired from. “We work in tandem with the sober living houses to ensure the employee is meeting their goals and staying on a good path,” Perez told The Fix.

    Perez is well aware that, whether they like it or not, DV8 has something to prove. It’s more than a restaurant, it’s a chance to show people that “second chance” doesn’t mean “second rate.”

    Hoping to establish a higher standard for his restaurant, employees are paid 20% more than they would get at similar fast-casual restaurants, resulting in less turnover and better service, Perez told the Daily News.

    “I think that the customers see a different face of recovery. It is about helping the folks that work here,” Perez told the Daily News. “But it’s also about helping the general public understand that the recovery community is worth a shot. The recovery community can perform good work.”

    Perez believes that with hard work comes self-respect. “When you do a job with quality, you build self respect, self-esteem and pride in a craft you’re developing,” he told The Fix. “In recovery, we need a support system and an accountability system. And the camaraderie you get out of a job when you have common interests, backgrounds and circumstances, is pretty powerful.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • AA Meetings Are Thriving In A Country Where Alcohol Is Illegal

    AA Meetings Are Thriving In A Country Where Alcohol Is Illegal

    A new episode of PBS’s “Frontline” offers a glimpse inside Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Iran. 

    Alcohol is banned in the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous is alive and well in a country where the consequences for drinking are severe.

    Many Iranians are starting to believe the true cost of alcohol—everything from brutal lashings to the death penalty—is worth it. At least, that’s the message suggested in an eye-opening new episode of the PBS documentary series Frontline.

    “I was arrested [with alcohol] and got 77 lashes,” an AA member said in the episode. “They use leather whips, just like with a horse. That’ll hurt, yeah. My skin was all torn apart.” He’s not alone, Frontline reveals, as the episode explores how AA has increasingly taken root in the country.

    The country’s Ministry of Information has allowed the AA Big Book (in which co-founder Bill Wilson outlined the 12-step program) to be printed and shared, with meeting groups rising all over Tehran, Iran’s capital. The results are telling, as one AA group member says he’s celebrated eight years of sobriety while another has another four under his belt. 

    Alcohol may be highly illegal, but it’s clearly not impossible to find. “You call someone who sells it and they come and deliver it to you,” an AA member explained to Frontline. “They bring it in a paper bag, you pay them, and they’re off again.”

    The simplicity of that transaction belies many other stories about Iran’s hidden drinking subculture, which is almost as hidden as the country’s burgeoning AA fellowship.

    Despite Iran’s alcohol ban and frequent police raids, “drinking in Iran is widespread, especially among the wealthy,” the Independent reported.

    There aren’t any nightclubs, so all of the illegal imbibing occurs behind closed doors. Some of the booze is smuggled in, but much of the wine and beer is made right under the noses of Iranian law enforcement, who are all too eager to mete out punishment.

    And while AA meetings reveal that some Iranians are seeking help they desperately need, Iran itself remains a country in denial about its larger alcohol problem.

    The Daily Beast published a feature that considered why “cruel penalties [have] not managed to reduce the popularity of drinking alcohol, particularly among young people, or its dramatic abuse by a stunning number of alcoholics.”

    Put into context, Iran ranks 166 in alcohol consumption per capita, but that statistic isn’t telling the whole story. If you look at World Health Organization estimates for people who consume 35 liters or more of alcohol over a year, the country actually ranks 19th in the entire world.

    “In other words, the number of alcoholics per capita puts Iran ahead of Russia (ranked 30), Germany (83), Britain (95), the United States (104) and Saudi Arabia (184),” The Daily Beast reported.

    Still, the Islamic Republic refuses to address its problem, beyond some scattered public ad campaigns that depict the dangers of drinking and driving. 

    View the original article at thefix.com