Post by ron on Sept 16, 2015 8:21:34 GMT -5
To All:
Recently, blueskye posted a link to Facing Addiction.org. (And I’d like to add the link to Faces and Voices of Recovery, too.)
In a reply to her, Mark wondered,
The way I look at it, the recovery movement, which includes the two above and many more groups, is by no means coming from the standpoint of victimization. Far from it. They are celebrating recovery, and actively promoting public celebration of recovery with an eye toward breaking down the social stigma as well as the shame and guilt felt by so many of our brothers and sisters out there, whether in recovery, seeking recovery, or still in the problem.
Do I think that’s plausible? An unqualified yes.
I imagine what it would be like to see even a fraction of the people who have recovered (or are in long-term recovery, if you prefer) come out of the closet and tell their stories publicly. On the stigma side of the issue, when 100s of thousands of voices, with faces attached, become visible, the average men and women on the street will not be seeing drunks, derelicts, alcohol/drug abusers, coke fiends, speed freaks, etc. They will see start seeing neighbors, employers, co-workers; they’ll be seeing their doctor, lawyer, family member, judges, politicians, teachers, and more. In short, they will no longer be able to relegate the problem to a small group of misfits with weak wills and lack of education. It will bring the problem home to them.
As for the personal side, public disclosure can help alleviate shame brought on by living a ‘secret’ life. I drank secretly for years due to the stigma. With recovery, I learned the power of living an authentic life, a life without secrets. And I went public with my blog.
Disclosure is also a huge service to our fellow sufferers. We can carry the message that recovery is possible, attainable, survivable and worth the effort. Twelve Step programs call this ‘service work.’ If you’re not in such a program, you can call it what it is, being of service to your fellow sufferers. No ‘work’ involved other than being visible as your authentic self, and telling your story.
Here I think about that group that blueskye has mentioned before, those who are suffering alone and in secret, managing day to day to keep up appearances, maybe not even knowing what the problem is, but knowing they need help, and without a clue how to get it. What if they could see the faces and hear the stories of just a handful of recovered folks who were just like them? I’m willing to bet that more than a few of them would have an “OMG-I-thought-I-was-the-only-one!” epiphany. Haven't we seen this happen again and again right here as we tell our stories when new members come in?
All in all, coming out publicly as a recovered alcoholic or addict can lead to an increase in self-esteem.
The downside to disclosure (there’s always a downside, ya know) is that the stigma is real and can negatively affect any number of areas of your personal life, e.g., employment, personal and familial relationships are three obvious areas. For this reason, the decision to go public about your recovery status is yours alone. Do not let anyone shame or guilt you into going public. I see only two valid reasons to go public— to carry the message of hope to others, and to strengthen your own recovery. For me, the benefits far exceed the drawbacks. This is certainly not the case for everyone who has recovered/is in recovery. You will have to decide for yourself.
Follow your heart.
Recently, blueskye posted a link to Facing Addiction.org. (And I’d like to add the link to Faces and Voices of Recovery, too.)
In a reply to her, Mark wondered,
“…the desire for societal acceptance and freedom from stigma for addicts, I wonder if it’s really plausible, or indeed defensible. Awareness campaigns like "Many Faces” seem to come from a standpoint of painting the stigmatized as being entirely “victims,” which is fine for most causes.”
The way I look at it, the recovery movement, which includes the two above and many more groups, is by no means coming from the standpoint of victimization. Far from it. They are celebrating recovery, and actively promoting public celebration of recovery with an eye toward breaking down the social stigma as well as the shame and guilt felt by so many of our brothers and sisters out there, whether in recovery, seeking recovery, or still in the problem.
Do I think that’s plausible? An unqualified yes.
I imagine what it would be like to see even a fraction of the people who have recovered (or are in long-term recovery, if you prefer) come out of the closet and tell their stories publicly. On the stigma side of the issue, when 100s of thousands of voices, with faces attached, become visible, the average men and women on the street will not be seeing drunks, derelicts, alcohol/drug abusers, coke fiends, speed freaks, etc. They will see start seeing neighbors, employers, co-workers; they’ll be seeing their doctor, lawyer, family member, judges, politicians, teachers, and more. In short, they will no longer be able to relegate the problem to a small group of misfits with weak wills and lack of education. It will bring the problem home to them.
As for the personal side, public disclosure can help alleviate shame brought on by living a ‘secret’ life. I drank secretly for years due to the stigma. With recovery, I learned the power of living an authentic life, a life without secrets. And I went public with my blog.
Disclosure is also a huge service to our fellow sufferers. We can carry the message that recovery is possible, attainable, survivable and worth the effort. Twelve Step programs call this ‘service work.’ If you’re not in such a program, you can call it what it is, being of service to your fellow sufferers. No ‘work’ involved other than being visible as your authentic self, and telling your story.
Here I think about that group that blueskye has mentioned before, those who are suffering alone and in secret, managing day to day to keep up appearances, maybe not even knowing what the problem is, but knowing they need help, and without a clue how to get it. What if they could see the faces and hear the stories of just a handful of recovered folks who were just like them? I’m willing to bet that more than a few of them would have an “OMG-I-thought-I-was-the-only-one!” epiphany. Haven't we seen this happen again and again right here as we tell our stories when new members come in?
All in all, coming out publicly as a recovered alcoholic or addict can lead to an increase in self-esteem.
The downside to disclosure (there’s always a downside, ya know) is that the stigma is real and can negatively affect any number of areas of your personal life, e.g., employment, personal and familial relationships are three obvious areas. For this reason, the decision to go public about your recovery status is yours alone. Do not let anyone shame or guilt you into going public. I see only two valid reasons to go public— to carry the message of hope to others, and to strengthen your own recovery. For me, the benefits far exceed the drawbacks. This is certainly not the case for everyone who has recovered/is in recovery. You will have to decide for yourself.
Follow your heart.
