Our Message

Things Many of Us in Recovery Wish We Had Known Earlier
​ 

1. Unhealthy substance use is a common, recognized medical condition; not a moral failing or character flaw.
2. Diagnosis is not difficult at its core (do you drink/use more than you intended; continue to drink/use even though it is causing trouble with your family or friends, etc.). 1
3. People in recovery are all around us (including thousands of people in the Triangle area) 2
4. Getting help can be a "pit-stop" toward best-ever performance, not an admission of failure or weakness.
   • Experiencing unhealthy alcohol or other substance use is not the issue (it affects roughly 1 in 5 adults, but stigma and denial prevent honest conversations about it).
   • Experiencing unhealthy use and not doing something about it is.
5. People with unhealthy alcohol or other substance use can recover fully
   1. Studies show that physical, psychological and social health scores for people in long term recovery return to normal, control group levels 3 ; people in long term recovery even have lower overall healthcare costs than average. 4
   2. Further, recurrence rates decrease significantly with more time in recovery, making recovery “stick”. 5
6. The only thing is you have to get started -- pit the car.  Box now.​

​

1. NIH, NIAAA, ​www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders
2. Applies national recovery ratios per capita to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Census Area (population 2.4M in 2024)
3. How, when, and to what degree do people with alcohol dependence recover, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10313403/
4. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5671784/
5. Recovery Village, https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/related-topics/alcohol-relapse-statistics/