Stigma surrounding addiction and recovery is lifting

3 years ago 383

CUSHING, Okla. — September is Addiction and Recovery Month, and passim the month, 2 Cares for the Community is focusing connected wherefore the stigma surrounding substance maltreatment is lifting arsenic good arsenic the betterment assistance that's disposable successful Oklahoma.

2 News Oklahoma anchor Karen Larsen precocious spoke with a pistillate who tried to fell her addiction. This study is sponsored by Valley Hope of Cushing - Addiction Treatment and Recovery.

MORE >>> Oklahoma antheral thankful for attraction astatine Valley Hope rehabilitation center

Like truthful galore successful Oklahoma, Kay's addiction started with alcohol, past her doc prescribed benzodiazepine pills for anxiety.

Kay said she started mixing the two.

"Which is simply a unspeakable concoction," she says.

"I aboriginal learned it's a wonderment that I lived arsenic agelong arsenic I did doing those things."

She mislaid her job.

"My girl kept asking maine if I had a drinking problem," Kay says.

"And I conscionable kept saying no. I thought I was hiding it, but it truly wasn't."

Then Kay wrecked her car.

"Jumped a curb and deed a sewer lid screen cover and had 2 level tires, my car was truly messed up."

Nearby, she says she saw a "Children astatine Play" sign.

"That benignant of deed a chord with maine and I was like, 'Oh, my gosh. I request help, I could person wounded somebody. I could person killed somebody,'" she says.

"And if I would person wounded somebody, particularly a kid, I don't deliberation I could unrecorded with myself. That was erstwhile I was like, I request help."

The stigma surrounding substance maltreatment tin interaction those who privation to question assistance for their addiction, according to Dana Kerney, Senior Vice President of Valley Hope Addiction Treatment and Recovery.

"It has a terrible impact," Kerney says.

"It tin support radical from seeking assistance erstwhile they request it."

Because addiction and betterment are much openly talked astir now, the stigma is lifting and radical are seeking assistance Kerney says.

"There are millions of radical surviving successful betterment from substance usage upset each day."

What whitethorn beryllium astonishing for immoderate to larn is however aboriginal addiction whitethorn begin, according to Jeff Dismukes, Director of Communications for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

"In Oklahoma, substance usage begins astir the property of 12," Dismukes says.

Kay was 47 erstwhile she came to Valley Hope for its intensive in-patient and outpatient programs.

In therapy, she discovered she's not alone.

"It's similar 'Wait a minute, you cognize however I feel? You consciousness this mode too?' And it was conscionable it was truthful chill due to the fact that I ever thought that I was unsocial successful my thinking," Kay says.

Kay has been truthful palmy successful betterment she present works arsenic the alumni coordinator for Valley Hope of South-central Kansas helping others recognize fearfulness should not support them from seeking assistance with their ain travel of recovery.

"I consciousness ace blessed, they gave maine the tools that I needed to past and locomotion done the storm, and I get to enactment present present and possibly wage it guardant a small bit," she says.

Kerney says Valley Hope, which opened successful Cushing successful 1974, offers a afloat continuum of attraction with a squad of physicians, nurses, psychologists, counselors and chaplains to conscionable the physical, mental, societal and spiritual needs of each person.

On-site aesculapian detox

Medical stabilization

Intensive in-and-outpatient programs including much than 40-hours per week of idiosyncratic counseling, 12-step sessions and radical therapy

Weekly continuing attraction programs

Discharge readying and instrumentality to enactment assistance

Indoor & outdoor recreational activities

Family care

Alumni events

"We truly effort to get radical to recognize that erstwhile they travel to attraction with us, they are portion of the Valley Hope household and that does not alteration erstwhile they locomotion retired of the door," Kerney says.

The fig astatine Valley Hope of Cushing is (800) 544-5101.

Find retired much astir Valley Hope Addiction Treatment Recovery Center successful Cushing here.

Learn much astir Valley Hope's experts and enactment here.

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