In addiction recovery, every personal story of success brings hope. Each life reclaimed from the grip of substance use is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, both of the person using drugs and alcohol and of the loved ones offering their unwavering support. But for many individuals and families facing this challenge, this path can be long and arduous, the outcome never assured. Despite the challenges, recovery is possible, and today I want to share reasons for hope and outline the paths that can lead to a happier future for those directly affected.
Reasons for Hope
Improved Treatment Approaches:
The field of addiction treatment has made remarkable advancements in recent years. Evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) help individuals identify and reshape negative thought patterns that contributed to their substance abuse. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with behavioral therapy to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, effectively treating opioid addiction. Integrated care models, which can address possible mental health issues have become increasingly popular and successful.
- Resource: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides an array of resources for both individuals and healthcare professionals, including a national helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Increased Awareness:
The shift in public perception of addiction from a moral failing to a treatable health condition has been crucial. This change has opened the door to more compassionate and comprehensive approaches to care. Governments and organizations now prioritize harm reduction and community-based treatment programs over punitive measures, leading to better outcomes.
Community Support:
Local charities, non-profit organizations, and support groups offer vital assistance to those in need. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) create a safe environment where individuals can share their experiences, receive guidance, and find solidarity. Some organizations provide housing, job training, and counseling to help individuals reintegrate into society. Through Gregg’s Gift, you can direct your donation to the resource or support most meaningful to you.
- Resource: Check out AA and NA’s official websites for meetings near you, or explore alternatives like SMART Recovery, which focuses on self-management strategies.
Paths to Recovery
Professional Help and Rehabilitation Programs:
Many individuals find success by seeking the assistance of professionals. Residential or outpatient rehabilitation programs offer structured environments where individuals can focus on recovery without external pressures. Tailored treatment plans ensure that patients receive personalized care, addressing the root causes of addiction.
Support Groups and Peer Networks:
Programs like AA and NA remain invaluable resources for those recovering from substance use disorders. The concept of mutual aid and shared experiences is integral to their success. Beyond these, other groups like Celebrate Recovery and Refuge Recovery respectively, offer faith-based and Buddhist-inspired paths to healing.
Harm Reduction:
According to the National Institutes of Health, harm reduction helps people who use drugs avoid negative effects, like infection or overdose. But it’s also more than that. In addition, “many understand harm reduction as a way to meet people where they are with kindness and respect.”
Harm reduction is a public health strategy designed to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug use and alcoholism. It does not necessarily require abstinence, recognizing that, while eliminating substance use might be ideal, many individuals are not yet ready or able to achieve that goal. Here are some key aspects of harm reduction:
Pragmatism: accepts that drug use is part of our world and focuses on minimizing its harmful effects rather than simply ignoring or condemning them.
Non-judgmental Services: emphasizes provision of services and support based on individual needs without judgment of drug use.
Safety First: strategies include providing access to clean needles through exchange programs, offering tests for substances to ensure they are not laced with more dangerous drugs, and distribution of naloxone to prevent overdoses.
User Involvement: Involving people who use drugs in the creation of policies and programs meant to serve them, ensuring that interventions are relevant and effective.
Focus on Health and Wellbeing: promotes health and dignity among individuals by addressing a range of issues, from addiction to infectious diseases and psychosocial well-being.
Incremental Change: supports incremental changes—people can receive help whether they want to reduce their use or abstain entirely.
This approach can be highly effective in reducing the harm of drug and alcohol use on both individuals and communities, making it a crucial tool in addiction counseling.
Learn more about these concepts here:
Books: Books like “Harm Reduction: Pragmatic Strategies for Managing High-Risk Behaviors” by G. Alan Marlatt provide practical strategies for implementing harm reduction.
Online Courses: Online academies offer courses on harm reduction and related public health topics.
Professional Organizations: Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC) and the International Harm Reduction Association offer workshops, training sessions, and conferences, along with a plethora of online resources, including best practices and latest research findings.
Journals and Academic Papers: scholarly articles from journals like the “International Journal of Drug Policy” or “Harm Reduction Journal” can provide insights into the latest research in the field.
Government and Health Services Websites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have sections on their websites dedicated to harm reduction.
Holistic Wellness Practices:
Exercise, art therapy, meditation, and diet can play a significant role in restoring mental and physical health. These practices, coupled with traditional therapy, help to relieve anxiety and depression, reinforce positive behavior changes, and build self-confidence.
Strengthening Relationships:
Family members and friends can significantly influence the recovery journey. Open communication, boundary-setting, and educational resources can empower loved ones to create an environment of trust and accountability. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are support groups that provide guidance to family members affected by a loved one’s addiction. This is critical as family members are also necessary to a strong recovery process. Their care is a key to success.
Support for Survivors
Grief and Loss:
Losing someone to addiction is heartbreaking, and the grief can feel insurmountable. Grief counseling and support groups like Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP) or The Compassionate Friends create safe spaces where survivors can share their pain and memories.
Advocacy and Outreach:
Survivors may find healing in advocacy work. Raising awareness through educational programs, community events, or online platforms helps break the stigma around addiction and encourages others to seek help sooner. Organizations like Shatterproof and Faces & Voices of Recovery lead initiatives aimed at preventing addiction and supporting recovery nationwide. Gregg’s Gift arose from this situation when, 15 years ago, my own child, Gregg Grossman, died of an overdose.
Amidst adversity, it’s clear to see the growing changes in the broad health care community around substance use disorder. Countless stories reveal how even the darkest situations can transform into opportunities for recovery and personal growth. Below are three stories that convey how powerful is both the human spirit and the resources that can partner with someone in need:
Stories of Recovery through Treatment:
1. For all my life I had been given everything I wanted. I assumed that the life I had growing up would be the type of life I was going to have as an adult. I never gave any thought to how hard my parents worked so I could grow up in a beautiful suburb of NYC, attend a wonderful private school, go on family vacations, always get the newest electronics, and get a car the minute I learned to drive. When I began my descent into addiction, stealing from them did not require a second thought. My entitlement was so great that I truly believed the money my parents worked so hard for was just as much mine as theirs.
After battling heroin addiction for three years that sense of entitlement was shattered. I came home one day to find my parents in the kitchen waiting for me. They sat me down and told me I had a choice. I was an adult now and I was able to live my life the way I wanted but that did not mean I was entitled to their support. They told me I was no longer welcome in their home. I could go live my life on the streets and use as much heroin as I wanted but they would no longer support me in any way. However, I could choose to go to treatment. Reality came up and smacked me harder than I ever imagined it could. I never envisioned my parents having the nerve to dare tell me I wasn’t entitled to my bed, my bathroom, my PlayStation, my laptop, and my car!! I was seething with self-righteous anger and began to yell at them and hurl vicious and cruel insults. No matter how nasty I got my parents remained calm and steadfast. They told me they would always love me but could not continue to enable my lifestyle. They gave me until the morning to choose.
A part of me knew instantly that I was going to choose treatment despite the bravado I showcased in the immediate aftermath of the ultimatum. I was not equipped to handle life on the streets nor was I willing to do all the things that were necessary to survive in that environment. In the morning, I agreed to go to treatment. The program my parents selected was a long-term program in Jackson, Mississippi, about as far from the suburbs of NYC as you could get.
I spent the next 14 months in treatment and five years living in Mississippi. It was the best choice I ever made. I learned that unconditional love does not require unconditional support. That I was entitled to nothing in this world outside what I earned with my own hard work. And ultimately, the most important lesson while engaging with those around me was the understanding that I could only gain as much respect as I was willing to give.
2. For most of my life I have struggled with mental health and substance use issues. Growing up I was always an incredibly shy and anxious kid surrounded with a family full of extroverts.
Looking back at this time in my life, it is clear to me that instability at home contributed to low self-esteem and anxiety; even though it may not have looked like it outwardly, my brain would never allow me to feel that
fit in anywhere. That, combined with ADHD and some significant childhood trauma, made for a very anxious and depressed young person looking for some kind of relief, acceptance, and to feel that I belonged.
In high school I learned that, through drinking and drugs, not only could I fit in with the cool crowd, but I was able to numb the feelings of depression and anxiety that had plagued me for so long. Even though the relief was temporary I took every chance I could to utilize this new technique I had found. It reached a point where drinking and using became so intertwined with my identity that I had no clue who I was without it. From this point on, maintaining this identity became my number one priority and full-time job.
At 16 years old I had my first experience with opiates when I was prescribed pain killers after an ankle surgery. From the very first time I took them I knew that that was how I wanted to feel all the time.
I worked hard and got into the university of Virginia and for the next four years did my best to juggle my addictions and do just enough to graduate which would allow me to continue under the radar. Through college I had multiple run ins with the law and stays at the hospital, but these were all explainable; I was a college student and, at this point, no one really suspected that I had a serious problem. I very much did, but in my mind, I was managing everything beautifully and the consequences had been minimal. I believe this was due to the limited access that I had to my drug of choice in Charlottesville.
By some miracle, I ended up graduating on time and making my way back to New York. Access was no longer an issue. This was a huge turning point in my use and from that point on my life took a steep nosedive into addiction.
Over the next 3 years my use got steadily worse; I was barely hanging on. I was maintaining a job in finance, but every dollar I made was immediately going toward funding my habit. It was unsustainable, but I had no clue how to get help.
I had completely isolated myself from friends and family, was barely holding onto my job and my physical health was rapidly deteriorating. Three years into this cycle I had a day where it was all too much. I felt completely alone and that no one could help me but decided that I would call someone for help. Part of me wanted the help and part of me absolutely did not. I concluded that I would call my dad.
Once I told my dad what I had been struggling with my entire family sprang into action. Addiction was not something they fully understood, but they knew how close they were to losing me and were willing to do anything it took to get me help. I remember feeling so lucky that I had the support of my family yet not deserving of that kind of care to be directed toward me. I did not like myself very much at that time so it was very difficult for me to understand why anyone else would.
For the next three years I was in and out of treatment centers, trying to piece together small periods of sobriety, but never fully diving in. I found it difficult to connect with other sober people because I still could not fathom a life worth living that didn’t involve me numbing the pain I had accepted as permanent. After many attempts at sobriety things seemed to be going well while living at a ‘sober living’ in Brooklyn.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of moving out of my sober living before I was ready and the lack of structure and support around me led to a very dangerous relapse. Once again, my family rallied around. I spent a full year doing trauma treatment and finally opened up about the things that had kept me sick for so long. While there I built a community who understood my struggles and supported me without judgement. During this year I realized 3 things were needed for me to stay sober;
1. I had to be open and honest about everything I had gone through and was going through
2. I had to get sober for myself
3. I needed to build a community and support network to keep me safe and accountable.
I moved to San Diego knowing that I truly wanted to be sober and that I had to keep building on what I had begun over the last year. I regularly met with a therapist and psychiatrist, went to as many recovery meeting as possible and started building friendships and a community around me that supported me completely. I interviewed for my very first sober job and was incredibly proud of the progress that I had made.
In March 2020 the world went into lock down and unfortunately, I was not able to keep my job. I made the tough decision to move back to New York to quarantine, but knew if I wanted to stay sober, I had to keep some semblance of routine and community during this time. I went to multiple online meetings daily and interacted with the recovery world virtually; because of that, I was able to stay sober.
What I learned from my long road to recovery was that we absolutely cannot do this by ourselves. I am so incredibly grateful for my family, friends and treatment professionals that have been there for along the way. They are my 3 pillars of support and I try to give back what was given to me whenever possible. Since getting sober I can be present with my family and there to support them like they were for me. I have been able to form meaningful relationships where I can go for support and be a source of support to them. The major impact that my journey has had is that it became very clear to me that my real passion is working in the recovery field and helping guide young people like myself through this incredibly difficult yet rewarding process.
I decided to become a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach. With this new knowledge, combined with my lived experience I was able to work with many young people and their families as a cas,e manager/sober coach over the span of two years. While doing this I always felt that a huge piece of recovery comes from finding joy in your life.
I have been able to jump right into the action of planning and running programming for such a wide variety of young people at different stages of their recovery journey. I have had the opportunity to launch a peer support group, offer multiple art events, many fitness events and even bring our community to an escape the room. It has been one of the best experiences of my life to give back in this way and really see the tangible impact it has on our community members.
Story of Recovery
3. I got into Drugs and Alcohol at the age of 15. Everyone I knew in my neighborhood had tried Alcohol and/or Drugs. I would see them under the influence, I envied them. It seemed like they had no care in the world. It seemed like they were able to do anything.
When I started using drugs and alcohol it quickly spiraled out of control. I was living to use and using to live. The progression was quick for me, the consequences steeply got worse. At first, for example, I’d be very sick after drinking or my grades would go down because of my using. But then a couple of months down the line I’d start stealing from my friends and family because I needed to drink and get high.
The arrests and court dates started to occur because of my use. I would never question why this happened; I would just do the same thing and expect different results. But by the Grace of God I was rescued; I believe I was pulled out from the depths. There was an intervention by my family and friends and a seed was planted. It was definitely not a straight path, but I turned my will over and accepted that I needed help. By admitting my powerlessness and unmanageability over Drugs and Alcohol I can live sober for today. Tomorrow, I’ll do it all over again.
You’ve read here a small sample of the power of diverse resources to overcome addiction and deliver hope for a better, productive life. With advances in treatment, evolving social attitudes, and a robust network of support, the pathways to recovery are brighter than ever before.
The more we discover, the more opportunity we must create an even bigger impact. Your contribution can make all the difference. By supporting charities and organizations dedicated to this cause, you directly impact the lives of countless young adults fighting addiction and their families struggling to heal. Through Gregg’s Gift, you can choose one of 7 ways your donation will be directed towards healing.
Thank you if you are already contributing and believe in the power of change and hope. Together, we can foster a future where every person is given the chance to shine as they were meant to do. Please look around the site; if you have any questions, please do reach out.