Celebrating Recovery Month.
Recovery Month has been celebrated nationally every September since 1989. Recovery Month is a time to celebrate those in recovery and the strength of the recovery community. Recovery Month reminds us that recovery is for everyone, and that each person’s recovery is unique to them.
Recovery starts with hope. It is supported by community.
In recovery, people make changes over time that can help them feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, live life on their own terms (and are not always abstinent) through their own choices, and work toward reaching their goals, whether small or large. While each person’s recovery is different and may change over time, the support of loved ones, social networks, and communities is vital. A strong support circle can share in the good feelings – joy, hope, possibility – and help work through the difficult ones.
There are many places to find community: family and friends, self-help and 12-step programs, recovery coaches, Peer Recovery Support Centers, recovery homes, recovery learning communities, and harm reduction spaces. Faith, therapy, sports, art, meditation, or anything that keeps you feeling healthy can also be great options to feel supported and connected to others. For more information about recovery, including where to start and how to maintain recovery, as well as what tools are available to help you, visit our page about recovery.
If you’re interested in a deep dive into the pathways and principles of recovery, the stigma around recovery, and the impacts of intersectionality on people’s ability to access recovery resources, reach out to the training team at the BeHere Initiative about the Exploring Pathways of Recovery training.
Recovery is personal. Helpline Specialists can give referrals to services that will support your recovery, including medication. Call 800.327.5050, text 800327, or chat with us online to talk about what might be right for you.
If you’re actively using drugs, you can use more safely. These resources can help:
- Learn more about harm reduction and strategies for safer use
- Visit YouCan.info to learn more about preventing, recognizing, and responding to an overdose
- Call Safe Spot at 800-972-0590 if you plan to use alone. They’ll connect you to a person with lived/living experience with overdose and drug use who can call for help if you experience an overdose
Building community through the Helpline.
From sharing real stories of real people and building our Helpline Champions program, the Helpline is committed to creating connections and developing community.
Stories of hope
Real people in Massachusetts tell powerful stories of their journeys into recovery. By sharing their experiences, they challenge stigma, show others that change is possible, and share a message of hope. We are grateful for the personal relationships we have developed with our storytellers, the work they do to support recovery, and their generosity in sharing their stories.
See Stories of Hope.
Helpline Champions
The Helpline Champions are an inspired group of individuals who reach out in simple and powerful ways in their communities to increase the use of harm reduction services, substance use disorder treatment, and recovery support services in Massachusetts. Anyone can be a Helpline Champion, and many have lived experience of substance use and recovery. They are experts in and advocates for their own communities, and by coming together, they can share ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen their community of advocates.
Learn more about and hear from the Helpline Champions and find out how to get involved in Massachusetts.