The hustle of the holidays means different things to different people. For us at Journey to Recovery, we are hustling to help. This time of year, as joyful as it is for so many, can also be a triggering and painful time. It can be a time of extreme stress that can sadly snag a person back or deeper into drugs and alcohol, into the destructive mess that happens when a person uses substances to mask their pain.
With the prevalence of Fentanyl we are experiencing overdoses at record levels (Source: Vermont Department of health https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ADAPMonthlyOpioidRelatedFatalities.pdf). Fentanyl is deadly, and highly addictive. Not only is it addictive, it changes brain chemistry so a persons’ pain tolerance is reduced, so they seek it more and more and quicker and quicker. It is not just one kind of person- it’s teachers, carpenters, doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, stay-at-home parents- it’s every kind of person. The ripple effects of jobs lost during the pandemic and the increase in alcohol and drug use is all coming to head now, where people are at physical and mental breaking points. Nearly two years of unemployment coupled with unhealthy coping through substances, many people have hit rock bottom and are in desperate need for help.
The staff at Journey to Recovery are skilled Peer Support Coaches who understand the courage it takes to change your life. JTRCC staff work hard to soothe and support people in crisis. Creativity and care is taken into accessing resources. There is dedication to the health and heart of each person who is brave enough to ask for help. In the hustle of the holidays, it is easy to forget that at the end of the day, we are all human, we are all flawed, and we all deserve a second chance.
This time of year, there’s lots of talk about gratitude. About family. About appreciating the little things. It’s true, the small moments are what make the big moments. But what if it’s hard to appreciate the small moments, because some momentous and tragic moments cast a cloud? Big moments like you have lost someone, maybe your son or daughter, or your mother or father, to drugs or alcohol. Maybe it is making you drink or use too much now, too.
This time of year, no one likes to talk about that kind of loss. It’s silenced, and those suffering often feel even darker, smaller and less hopeful than ever. Loss due to substance use is one of the most painful because there is no control leading up to it. It is very common for people who are suffering from addiction to act like a completely different person than they were before they became trapped under the cloak of drinking or drugs. There are glimmers, sometimes, of the old person, their heart, but as time goes on their personality fades into a shell of disorganization, blame, chaos, dishonesty and panic. Substance use also often makes people angry and behave like a victim. They believe the world is harming them, it is not that they are harming themselves. When the end, when the drug or drink wins and the result is death, the loss is so expansive and so dark that for those left behind, it doesn’t ever feel like it could heal. It compounds when the hopelessness gets the better of the grief and the people left behind find themselves in substance use crisis too. This is a common scenario that we see here at Journey to Recovery, and we need people to know there is a place to ask for help and that they are never alone. We at Journey to Recovery, are here to help the people who don’t know where to turn, get support, get help, and stop the madness of drinking and drugs, before it is too late or before there is no closure for their family, and they are gone forever.
This time of year, we at Journey to Recovery, know what to do to help. At Journey to Recovery, what that means, is our coaches are at the ready to either meet people who find themselves in the Emergency Room after overdose or in substance use crisis, or at the ready when people walk in our doors to help them find the help they need. Often, when someone is at this point of crisis they may not know entirely what they need. Our coaches sit with them and figure out the resources that will help them regroup and recover.
This holiday season, if you have a friend or family struggling with substances, reach out. Asking for help is one of the most courageous things a person can do, and it is also what can save their life.
If you or a loved one needs help, please call us at (802) 624- 4156, visit our website at www.jtr-cc.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We are here for you.