A group of residents are looking to raise some awareness to combat the stigma surrounding addictions, as they celebrate Chatham-Kent’s inaugural Recovery Day.
Gillian McGee, one of the organizers, told the Sydenham Current that Recovery Day is a national movement across Canada and will be held for the first time in Chatham-Kent on Saturday, Sept. 26.
“Recovery Day Chatham Kent is basically and organization that is trying to change societal stigma surrounding addiction, we want to build awareness of recovery and to celebrate the role that recovery plays in improving the lives of individuals affected, as well as family and community,” McGee said.
“It started originally in the Unites States. It spread from two events to I believe 26 events across Canada this year. So a big jump in numbers. It is definitely a growing movement. Specifically in Chatham-Kent, this is going to be the first annual event to raise awareness to take down the stigma and the barriers.”
McGee said the group is starting off at the Civic Centre in downtown Chatham and they will be featuring a kick-off speaker at 1 p.m.
“We are going to have a peaceful march form the Civic Centre, through the street to Tecumseh Park. Once we get to the park it is going to be a celebration of those that are in recovery essentially (from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) So people that are in recovery that want to get up and speak about the positives that recovery has brought to their life. Anyone is welcome to speak as well as family, friends, other community members that have been affected by the positives of recovery,” McGee said.
McGee said there is going to be live music and they even have a theme song called ‘Finally Made It.’
Jacquie Smith, another organizer of the event, said the stigma of not being accepted is still prevalent.
“Gillian previously worked at the BMC, the Methadone clinic, and I work at the House of Sophrosyne and I have exceptionally worked with mothers with recovery issues,” Smith said.
“That to me is the biggest stigma. There is just so much judgment on being a parent, trying to get a job , trying to change your life. You are always stuck to carry this stigma of negatives of addictions. That is where Recovery Day comes from. Let’s take that focus off of how much the disease destroys and how it has such a negative consequence and lets put the focus on recovery because people do change.”
Smith added: “It’s like, once an addict always an addict, once an alcoholic, always and alcoholic. It’s hard to break that. So even when people get into recovery, they hide the fact that this was part of their past. So we can’t get people out there to take that credit for their successes in recovery because once you bring up those labels again. you go back into that… you can’t really change.”
Smith said they want to have people step forward and say ‘I am in my recovery, I am a parent, and I am a working person, that I have had my recovery from these things.’
“Take that focus off of ‘your an addict, you are an alcoholic.’ That’s how the speeches start on the day. To say ‘I am so and so, and I am a person recovering for so many years’ as opposed to those old ‘I am so and so, and I am an addict or alcoholic.’ We want to celebrate success in recovery.”
McGee said they are encouraging anyone in Chatham-Kent to come out.
“Ultimately a long term goal would be to put Recovery Day in different communities as well. So I mean Dresden, Wallaceburg, Buxton, Tilbury, Wheatley, Merlin and any small outlining community, we welcome and are hoping to be from all of the surrounding communities around Chatham,” she said.
The event coincides with National Recovery Month in September for Canada.
Here is the event poster with more details:
