National Recovery Month in New Jersey: Honoring Substance Abuse Recovery

National Recovery Month is celebrated every September to raise awareness and celebrate those who have faced substance abuse or addiction, along with anyone involved in the substance abuse recovery effort along the way. September’s Recovery Month provides an opportunity for recovery stories to be told and aims to reduce the negative perceptions and shame often associated with substance abuse. The purpose of recovery Month is to applaud every individual who has bettered themselves by facing their addiction and embraced a sober lifestyle.

Substance Abuse in New Jersey

New Jersey substance abuse occurrences are high, given the availability of most drugs in the Northeast. Because of this, drug overdose deaths are greater in New Jersey than most of the US. New Jersey has a history with heroin use and fentanyl circulation in particular, which has heavily contributed to the state’s drug overdose death rate. In 2018, roughly 90% of drug overdose deaths in New Jersey were due to some type of opioid (prescription or synthetic) and preliminary CDC data for 2019 indicates that overdoses recorded in New Jersey were about the same in 2019 as they were in 2018.

The availability of drugs in New Jersey necessitate a vast recovery network that is able to reach those struggling with addiction. Recovery Month highlights this network by shining a light on the intricate system that contributes to recovery support.

The History of National Recovery Month

Recovery month was created by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Now, in its 31st year, the SAMHSA Recovery Month will be supported by the Faces and Voices of Recovery, an organization dedicated to vocalizing the needs of the millions of Americans living a sober life through addiction recovery. Faces and Voices of Recovery created a website for Recovery Month where you can find Recovery Month events or submit your own event to the Recovery Month calendar.

Ideas for Celebrating Recovery Month

Many addiction recovery events are available to join, but the sky’s the limit on ways to become involved in Recovery Month. Recovery supporters can promote connection through one of the following recovery event ideas:

• Attend a fundraising or webinar event. SAMHSA is hosting special events for each week of Recovery Month, which can be attended in-person or virtually.
• Be a voice for recovery on social media and support sober living in New Jersey. Show your support on your social media platforms with recovery hashtags, sharing your personal recovery story or educational posts.
• Sponsor a recovery support service in your area. NJ-CARS offers numerous sponsorship opportunities on their website, allowing you to be involved without being front and center.
• View a virtual seminar. The Recovery Village offers webinars like our recent recovery panel, where some of our community outreach team members shared their own recovery journey.

Help When You Need It at The Recovery Village Cherry Hill

The Recovery Village Cherry Hill has partnered with Cooper University Health Care to provide a state-of-the-art behavioral disorder and substance abuse treatment facility in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Our treatment center offers medical detox services as well as inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs and recovery support for life after rehab.

The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper is part of the Advanced Recovery Systems nationwide network of treatment centers, offering behavioral health and recovery support to those when they need it most.

If you or someone you know could benefit from help with behavioral disorders or drug rehab in the New Jersey area, contact us for more information about addiction treatment at our South Jersey drug treatment center.