National Recovery Month

Each September, SAMHSA, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sponsors “National Recovery Month” to increase awareness of mental health and substance use issues. Key themes include: 1) mental health is essential to overall health; 2) prevention works; 3) treatments are effective; and 4) recovery is possible.

The Recovery Month initiative encourages persons with mental health or substance use issues and their supporters to become active in promoting positive change through advocacy events by discussing prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Current statistics

Here’s a quick review of important statistics about mental illness and substance use in the US. These data (from 2014) include:

  • Nearly one in five persons (about 43.6 million people) had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder (not including developmental or substance use disorders).
  • 21.5 million people (age 12 or older) had a substance dependence or misuse disorder.
  • 7.7 million adults had both a substance use disorder and a mental illness in the past year.
  • By 2020, mental health and substance use disorders will surpass all physical diseases as a major cause of disability worldwide.
  • Two-thirds of Americans believe treatment and support can help people lead more fulfilling lives.
  • Research has shown that most people who start and continue with treatment do stop using drugs, have less criminal activity, and show improved emotional, occupational, and social functioning.

Guiding principles and dimensions of recovery

It’s also important to know that recovery is characterized by several important guiding principles, including:

  • Recovery emerges from hope, which is fostered by friends, families, providers, colleagues, and others who have experienced recovery themselves
  • Recovery occurs via many pathways, which may include professional clinical treatment, use of medications, support from families and in schools, faith-based approaches, peer support, and other approaches
  • Recovery is holistic, meaning recovery encompasses a person’s whole life including mind, body, spirit, and community
  • Recovery is supported by relationships with peers and allies, and on social networks
  • Recovery is culturally based and influenced
  • Recovery is supported by addressing trauma, including physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence, war, disaster, or profound loss
  • Recovery involves individual, family, and community strengths and responsibilities
  • Recovery is fostered by respect

Additionally, recovery includes four major dimensions:

1) Health: Both physical and mental health are important, and learning to manage one’s condition(s) or symptom(s) through informed, healthy choices.

2) Home: Having a safe, stable place to live.

3) Purpose: Participation in meaningful activities, including work, school, volunteering, hobbies, interests, or other fulfilling pursuits.

4) Community: Building relationships and social networks which can provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

Target audiences

While the Recovery Month toolkit varies a bit from year to year, it has often included sections to help specific target audiences at risk for difficulties related to mental health and substance misuse, such as:

1) Military, veterans, and military families

Here you can find specific information about mental and/or substance use disorders in the military culture, and offers resources in support of veterans’ recovery and military families.   

2) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community

This information highlights the prevalence of mental and/or substance use disorders in the LGBT community, while addressing the specific needs of LGBT adults and youth in recovery.

3) Victims of trauma

Trauma survivors and their loved ones are provided resources about finding support to help further cope with a traumatic event.

4) Family members of those with mental and/or substance use disorders

This information highlights the importance of an individual focusing on their well-being to better support a loved one in recovery from a mental and/or substance use disorder.

Get involved

There’s a wealth of material on the Recovery Month website to help you plan advocacy events, educate others, and do targeted outreach with specific groups, such as those listed above.

Additionally, you will find information about some of the most common mental disorders and misused substances, plus links to organizations that provide information and resources about prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.

Let’s all take action now to help fulfill the campaign’s theme to promote increased awareness of recovery.

Here’s a question: How can you get involved to promote recovery related to mental health or substance use issues? Please leave a comment. Also please consider subscribing to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter), “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Thanks!