Recovery isn’t news.
This was the message given by Wisconsin media outlets this past September during Recovery Month. This year there was no media coverage about the state’s annual Recovery Month celebration in Madison on September 19th: Rockin’ Recovery Rally hosted by Wisconsin Voices for Recovery and sponsored by countless recovery community organizations from around the state like Connections Counseling and The Recovery Foundation.
This year Governor Scott Walker (R) signed a Proclamation in honor of Recovery Month, a portion of which reads:
Stigma that too often prevents individuals from seeking treatment and care can be significantly reduced by learning more about mental illness and substance use and see a person for who they are […]
Unfortunately, when people in recovery do not have a public platform to share their stories of success and hope: starting families and raising children, graduating from college, buying homes, volunteering in their neighborhoods and faith communities, being great friends, spouses, siblings, daughters and sons – an important message is lost.
What message is the media sending? We hear about the problem of substance use and dependence in our state. We learn ugly statistics about the opioid epidemic or about how drug dealers are stealing our state’s brightest youth. We learn that addiction is not just concentrated in poor areas in large cities, but in our own backyards. It is a suburban issue. It is a white issue. It is your family. And mine.
Turn on the television and you will hear about the problem of addiction almost daily. But what about everything that is done in our state to combat the issue? What about recovery? What about the millions of Americans and thousands of Wisconsin citizens who have found a solution and now live transformed lives? What about the hundreds of resources our state offers to those seeking help: medication-assisted treatments, community and faith-based supports, non-profit organizations and small businesses, and countless other initiatives?
Recovery is value-added. It adds value to the lives of thousands upon thousands of Wisconsin citizens. This is breaking news. This is a great story. Recovery in Wisconsin is hope and resiliency. Transformation and progress.
Next year, Wisconsin Voices for Recovery plans to host the third annual Wisconsin Voices for Recovery Rockin’ Recovery Rally in celebration of Recovery Month at the State Capitol on Saturday September 17th. We hope to see you and your cameras there.
Caroline Miller, Community Liaison
Wisconsin Voices for Recovery