Blog

A challenge that often appears this time of the year is increased substance use during the holiday season. The holidays can be exhausting and stressful which can trigger mental health challenges. Those who are recovering or struggling with an active addiction can have a very hard time during the holidays which could in turn lead to problematic drug use. The holiday time can also bring along the emotional stress of family conflict, trauma, financial concerns, and loneliness. If you are not well equipped to manage these stressors, you may resort back to poor coping strategies. Check out the tips below...Read More

Researchers have long known that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be prescribed lifesaving addiction treatment options than white people. But even when Black and Hispanic patients start a prescription for buprenorphine — the most popular medication to help those in recovery fight cravings — the typical duration of their treatment is shorter than that of white patients, according to a new data analysis published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. The analysis, which sorted through 15 years of prescription data by race and ethnicity, also revealed that the percentage of minority patients who remained on buprenorphine for more than 180 days...Read More

Lillianna Alfaro was a recent high school graduate raising a toddler and considering joining the Army when she and a friend bought what they thought was the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in December 2020. The pills were fake and contained fentanyl, an opioid that can be 50 times as powerful as the same amount of heroin. It killed them both. “Two years ago, I knew nothing about this,” said Holly Groelle, the mother of 19-year-old Alfaro, who lived in Appleton, Wisconsin. “I felt bad because it was something I could not have warned her about, because I didn’t know.” The drug...Read More

October 5, 2022 (Spokane, Washington) Good evening from Spokane, Washington—where we are saying goodbye to the big red bus that has taken us 10,403 miles over the past 31 days. On our final stop of #MobilizeRecovery tonight, all of our gratitude goes to the thousands of volunteer hours, hundreds of community partners, passionate and dedicated organizers, and the entire Mobilize Recovery team who took an ambitious idea (that few thought was realistic) and brought it to life—exceeding our wildest expectations for the possible. Crossing over 25 states and the District of Columbia, this bus was the cornerstone of 37 events—bringing...Read More

No matter where you are in the United States during National Recovery Month, you may spot an unusual sight: a red bus, covered in names. The bus, organized by Mobilize Recovery, an advocacy group that pushes for evidence-based substance use treatment methods, is stopping in 27 communities across the country throughout September, meeting up with state and local leaders in the field and connecting with people in recovery everywhere. “When I first came into recovery, I was very quiet, ashamed. I didn’t know that I even had rights, that I could speak out and advocate for things,” said Garrett Hade, a...Read More

National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible. SAMHSA aims to increase public awareness surrounding mental health and addiction recovery. In the years since Recovery Month launched, SAMHSA has timed announcements of initiatives and grant funding during Recovery Month, while collaborating with private and public entities to celebrate individuals during their long-term recoveries. This year, to address the nation’s...Read More

The overdose epidemic has taken a heartbreaking toll on our Nation, claiming the lives of far too many Americans and devastating families and communities across the country.  During Overdose Awareness Week, we renew our commitment to taking bold action to prevent overdoses and related deaths.  We continue our efforts to enhance prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for individuals with substance use disorder and addiction.  We affirm our duty to stop the flow of illicit drugs from reaching our communities. As the overdose epidemic has evolved, synthetic opioids –particularly illicitly manufactured fentanyl — now drive the majority of...Read More

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and behavioral health issues continue to be among the most poorly understood and stigmatized conditions today – even after all the work that advocates have put forth over the past few decades. People continue to face discrimination in so many arenas including their homes, places of employment or schooling, and the community at large. As part of the duties of a recovery steward, we are here to #RecoverOutLoud, remove barriers to recovery, and eliminate stigma and discrimination to create a recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC). What is a ROSC?  According to SAMHSA, a ROSC is a coordinated network of community-based services...Read More

It was at Massachusetts General Hospital that Bryan found the care he needed for his opioid use disorder. He had previously tried, without success, to just quit. But when the hospital’s renowned addiction medicine team prescribed him Suboxone, a medication that can tame cravings, it worked. Bryan also had cystic fibrosis, which by 2017 had progressed to the point he needed a lung transplant. It made sense that he would get that done at MGH too. The transplant team, citing the Suboxone Bryan took, rejected him. The denial confounded Bryan and his family. Bryan was doing what he was supposed...Read More

If there ever was a time to fully embrace and celebrate every pathway of recovery, it’s now. Over 100,000 people died from overdose and drug poisoning last year; it’s time to support any way a person embraces wellness. Today, I challenge everyone to authentically and radically help people recover from addiction in any way they choose. There are so many beautiful ways to recover from Substance Use Disorder (SUD). I often say that a garden with all different types of flowers is more beautiful than a garden with just roses, or just daisies. A variety of things is always better – in my opinion. Recovery is the same...Read More