Too much of our conversation in Philadelphia centers addiction, not recovery

My name is Kevin, and I am in long-term recovery. For me, that means I haven’t had a drink of alcohol since March 16, 2012. It also means I practice a program of recovery and growth that provides a daily inoculation against a relapse of my chronic, progressive, deadly disease.

During decades of increasing alcohol consumption, I had a successful career in a profession I enjoyed. I had leadership roles in my jobs and on nonprofit boards. I showed up to work every day. I set productivity records in multiple organizations. Beyond work, I ran marathons and completed Ironman triathlons. From the outside, I appeared to be loving life. Inside, I was floundering in a cesspool of alcohol and self-loathing.

Finally, realizing I could not stop — or even moderate — my drinking, I admitted that I could not do it alone. That was the start of my recovery. I am fortunate to have found recovery before I lost my career, my home, or my family.

September is National Recovery Month, observed annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Not addiction month — recovery month.

Too much of our conversation in Philadelphia centers addiction, criminality, and unsightliness. When officials and the media focus on the visible problem — open-air drug use, trash on the sidewalk, living on the street — they make the problem static in the public mind. They perpetuate the simplistic view that there can be a quick fix.

When people struggling with addiction are constantly told they are the problem, it can be hard to see themselves in the solution. When people are repeatedly told they are hopeless, it can be hard for them to feel hope.

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When we flip the message from “you are the problem” to “you have a problem,” we expand the possible solutions for the community and those struggling with addiction. If I am the problem, is the solution getting rid of me? If I have a problem, the solution is me taking care of my problem.

If we want to save lives and improve conditions in Kensington and throughout the region, we need to center, normalize, and destigmatize substance use disorder and the many paths to recovery: programs such as 12-step and other peer-to-peer groups, mental health services, medication-assisted treatment, protected settings where people can begin recovery, and employer supports for employees living with SUD.

A 2021 report found that of 29 million people who perceived they had substance use disorder, 20.9 million (72%) were in recovery.

Recovery not only happens, it is common and wondrous.

Many people with substance use disorder have employer-provided health insurance that covers roughly a month of inpatient rehab and part of longer-term inpatient and outpatient services. People most severely ravaged by substance use disorder often lose their jobs and all other personal resources.

My intention is not to endorse a specific path to recovery, but 12-step and other community-based, peer-to-peer programs are free and easy to access, in person and online.

The near-invisibility of a local peer support meeting is the first step many of us take toward recovery, regardless of financial means. No forms, no files, no financial commitment — this level of philosophical accessibility is essential for many to start recovery. For those who can’t commit to an extended stay in a facility, access to these free support meetings may be the only feasible form of treatment.

While no approach works for everyone, many people living with substance use disorder have started and maintained recovery through these programs.

Alcoholics Anonymous groups have some 1,900 meetings in the Philadelphia region every week. Narcotics Anonymous groups hold 381 meetings per week in the Philadelphia area. Newer peer-led programs, such as SMART Recovery and Recovery Dharma, have groups and meetings in Philadelphia. All of the community-based, peer-led recovery programs are independent of the numerous publicly funded and private rehab facilities, outpatient clinics, recovery houses, and mental health programs available to people in the region.

When someone discloses that they are struggling with a substance, families, friends, and employers should support rather than ostracize them. The most well-known recovery programs are “anonymous,” but people in those programs are free to disclose their disorder and recovery to people they trust. Trust is key, so put your words into action when it comes to valuing and supporting them.

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Understand that this is a disease. In substance use disorder, using is not a choice, and not using is not a choice. I struggled for a decade to control my drinking before I finally asked for help and started recovering.

Just as you support someone with cancer or heart disease, support the person with this chronic, progressive, deadly disease. If you would drive someone to dialysis, drive them to a peer support meeting or outpatient treatment. If you provide employee sick time for medical services, provide sick time for substance use disorder recovery services. If you don’t blame someone when their cancer returns, don’t blame them if they have a relapse. Expect them to get treatment — demand it even — but don’t blame them for having a lifelong disease they did not ask for.

Learn about community-based recovery programs and their family-centered counterparts, such as Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, so you can provide appropriate support while also creating healthy boundaries and expectations.

Recovery not only happens, it is common and wondrous. People who recover are well-positioned to help others to recover. When we spend more energy helping people get better rather than punishing them for having a chronic, progressive, deadly disease, we make a real difference on the streets and in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia.

Kevin A. Peter is the executive director at Ready, Willing & Able Philadelphia, a recovery house serving 50 men in early recovery. He lives in Mount Airy and participates in recovery communities wherever he goes.