WILL THE REAL PERSON IN RECOVERY PLEASE STAND UP?

Is it the person sitting two rows over from you in church? Is it the
nurse helping you at your doctor's office? What about your real
estate agent or attorney? Maybe it's the clerk behind the counter at
the dry cleaners?

They are hard to spot. They lead normal and productive lives. But it
didn't use to be that way for them. It is hard to tell just by
looking at them, but they are different. They are "in recovery" from
addiction to alcohol or other drugs. They are living proof that there
are real solutions to addiction, but their stories of recovery are
not celebrated.

The focus of our local and national media is on the problem of
addiction -- the crime, the costs, the damage to families and
communities. We hear stories about the costly war on drugs, the
latest methamphetamine lab bust, and the attractive celebrity going
to rehab. But we don't hear about the story of recovery from addiction.

You know about stories of people recovering from cancer and people
who are doing well after a heart attack. But we bet that you don't
know what recovery from addiction is all about. For too long people
in recovery have kept quiet because of the fear of discrimination and stigma.

Faces and Voices of Recovery Upstate, a new education and advocacy
organization based on a national initiative,
www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org, wants to shift the focus to the
solution to the addiction problem and tell the story of recovery.
People in recovery and their family members, by speaking out and
putting a human face on recovery, play a critical role in breaking
down barriers by educating the public about the disease of addiction
and fighting stigma to end discrimination against those seeking and
maintaining recovery.

A new life, free from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, is a
reality for millions of Americans and tens of thousands more get well
every year. Regardless of the path a person takes in seeking recovery
from addiction, the lives of family members, friends and neighbors
are vastly improved as a result. Recovery happens every day across
our country and there are real solutions to alcohol and other drug addictions.

We know that recovery is an achievable goal for many of the 23
million Americans age 12 and older who still need help. In Greenville
County this translates to more than 30,000 residents who are in need
of alcohol or drug treatment. Faces and Voices of Recovery Upstate
believes that everyone has a right to be free from addiction and that
the recovering community must be involved at every level in
developing and carrying out policy.

Recovery benefits the individual, his or her family, the community,
public health and safety, and the taxpayer. Each year the United
States spends $328 billion on substance abuse-related costs,
including criminal justice, social service and health care, as well
as crime and lost productivity. But we spend only $18 billion on
substance abuse treatment. Taxpayer dollars are being misspent. In
fact one study determines that each $1 invested in treatment for
addiction saves $7.46 in costs to society of substance use disorders.

But does treatment lead to recovery? Addiction treatment research
demonstrates that alcoholism and other drug addiction are treatable
biopsychosocial illnesses that are similar to other chronic
conditions. When tailored to the needs of the individual, addiction
treatment is as effective as treatment of other illnesses, such as
diabetes, hypertension and asthma. It is clear from research on the
economic impact of substance abuse and addiction on health, crime,
social stability and community well-being, that the cost to society
of not treating persons with substance abuse problems is quite substantial.

Please join us on Thursday for an evening with William C. Moyers at 7
p.m. at the Palmetto Exposition Center. Moyers is the vice president
of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and carries the
message about addiction and recovery into the public arena,
especially to policy makers and civic groups across America.

His topic, "Unmasking the Stigma," will be a call to action for
people in recovery, their families and professionals who work in the
field to stand up and speak out to shatter stigma around addiction
and improve public understanding of treatment and recovery.

For more information about the William Moyers event, call 235-8330.