According to the County, “Santa Barbara is extreme with regards to alcohol and other drug use,” with rates higher than state averages for several harmful substances.
But we’re working to change.
Recovery is a period of transition guided by ten principles. It’s an opportunity to improve one’s health and mental wellness and a chance to enjoy life free from substance use.
Recovery is a long and winding journey, often travelled alone, but it doesn’t have to be. As a program director at Sanctuary Centers, I’ve helped clients along every step of this journey. Many people have confided in me that more encouragement would help them on the road to recovery.
What is Recovery Month?
As noted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:
Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. Now in its 31st year, Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those living in recovery.
A celebration of this unsung journey, Recovery Month is an opportunity for us to step back and see how much our community has been working. It’s important to feel seen in their hard work, which validates the everyday struggle that takes place behind closed doors.
And like most journeys, recovery is not about the destination—it’s about developing coping mechanisms, learning about ourselves and recognizing what leads us to substances in the first place.
Recovery is striving to reach our full potential.
Why We Need Recovery Month
Addiction is a human behavior, none of us are completely free from it.
Whether it’s binging television, online shopping or lounging in bed all day—we’ve all been there. Recovery Month explores this human tendency and how it is we can work to limit its negative effects.
We’re all the same, whether we’re in recovery or not. No one is a cast away on a desert island… yet many of us feel that way.
The goal of Recovery Month is to help our clients and community foster resiliency, strength and hope. It shows individuals just how much we are all behind them. This is what Sanctuary Centers’ tries to communicate to everyone.
For me, it was important to get involved with Recovery Month because I love the message that we aren’t just here for you when things are easy. Sanctuary is here every step of the way, from start to finish. It’s important that each and every one of our clients feels that we wholeheartedly support them.
Recovery is available to anyone seeking it.
Sanctuary Centers’ Recovery Month
Santa Barbara is a strong community, and one that appreciates wellness. We look out for each other. And despite demographic shifts, the sense of community remains small, tight-knit and genuinely cares.
That’s why we need to celebrate our community members working so hard. Every September for the last seven years, Sanctuary Centers has proudly hosted a Recovery Month event to celebrate and show support for our clients and remind us all that “treatment is effective and that people can and do recover.”
Our event has changed over years: it’s lots bigger! When we first started, it was only thirty or forty participants—small and intimate, but still effective. As our program expanded, we reached out to partners to bring in strong community and integrate elements of this wonderful event. Every year, our community provides donations and supports our event… everyone is excited to give back to their community. The generous donations from the community show our clients that we’re on board with their recovery efforts.
For Sanctuary Centers, it is also an opportunity to connect with partners (such as Mission Harbor, PATH, Garden Court, Mental Wellness Center, Cottage Hospital; all great local resources) to strengthen community collaboration and the continuum of care across the county.
This Year’s Recovery Month
According to a survey by the CDC, approximately one in ten people started or increased substance use due of Covid-19.
So, we are sharing the spirit of recovery with our community, a message that’s especially important with the added strain of Covid-19. We all need goals, balance, and, most of all, to connect with each other—which is increasingly difficult due to isolation and social distancing.
In order to ensure everyone stays safe this year, our Recovery Month celebration is going to be a little different. Instead of a one-day event, we’re spreading the message of Recovery throughout the entire month of September! Each week in September there will be raffle drawings, group projects, and opportunities for connection while maintaining proper social distancing etiquette.
Each week is centered around a theme to help people channel these important recovery steps into their lives. Our themes for this year are:
• Introduction
• Awareness
• Balance
• Connection
• Reflection
Recovery cannot be done in a day or a month; recovery is measured in years.
September’s Recovery Month is a time to celebrate all the work done in the shadows— it shines a light on this journey. Addiction is hard, and recovery seekers are actively working on themselves to make their lives better and the lives of those around them.
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If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Sanctuary Centers at 805-569-2785 and review the County’s behavioral wellness services, or the contact the access line at 888-868-1649.
