We’ve been bombarded with bad news for the past 18 months. Every day there’s the grim statistics of Covid deaths and infections. Then there’s climate change and war and pestilence and politics. It’d drive you to the drink.
Sadly that is what has happened. People are drinking at home more and what used to be a glass or two of wine or a beer in front of the telly is becoming a bottle or even a bottle and a half.
It’s not just alcohol that we are turning to for solace either. Louise Mahony and Joanne O’Dwyer of The Red Door Project addiction counselling and recovery service told me yesterday that there is a big increase in drug use.
Red Door is getting back to something resembling normality after months of closures and outreach work and they are looking forward to expanding their service thanks to new funding promised in the Geiran report.
International Recovery Month
September is International Recovery Month and Red Door is making a big effort to shine a light on their services for anyone seeking a path out of addiction and to spread the word that recovery is an achievable and valuable goal for anyone who seeks it.
They are seeking public support for their month-long campaign to promote recovery which will include guest speakers, podcasts, arts and crafts and a pop-up shop.
The official colour of Recovery Month is purple, so Red Door are asking people, whether they have personal or family experience of addiction or not, to show their support for people in recovery by joining in their “Purple Paws 4 Thought” campaign.
To do this all you have to do is share photos on social media of your pet wearing something purple and tag the Red Door with the hashtags #recoverymonth and #paws4thought
Buildings in towns and cities all over the world will be lit up in purple for Recovery month and the Red Door will be doing likewise. They are hoping that other local organisations and businesses, including the Council, will also show their support in this way.
“A huge part of Recovery Month is to get people talking about recovery and mental health issues, removing the stigma and barriers to people seeking help, especially for women” said Joanne who bravely told her story of recovery on Drogheda Life a couple of years ago. (click here to read it).
“Remember, recovery is for everyone and it’s achievable,” said Louise “It’s important to remember that recovery is not always about being completely abstinent, its different for everyone. It’s whatever the person needs to get their life into a stable and manageable position.
“People in recovery don’t need judgement, they don’t need that stick to beat themselves with as well as everything else.”
Recovery week has been going in the USA for about 30 years and in the UK for the past ten but addiction services in Ireland have only taken part in it for the last four years.
Red Door are delighted to be playing host to the Ballymun Youth Action group who will be cycling from Dublin to the Red Door on September 25th.
To find out more about the Red Door Project see: http://www.thereddoorproject.ie
You can contact them via Facebook, by phone on (041) 9804957 or (086) 7831162 or by email at admin@lcdat.ie
