Carrying the Message

I'm always amazed to see how connected we are online. A couple of months ago, I wrote a tribute to

my friend Doris, who had recently passed away. Doris had encouraged me during those tough times of dealing with my husband Randy's alcoholism. Reminiscing about my friend felt healing--and I'm sure she would have been pleased to know how her life had made a difference for many others. That's all I intended when I hit the "publish" button on my blog site.  

Then a few weeks ago, I received an email from the person who is the program analyst at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Really? She had discovered my blog and read some of my posts. She thanked me for sharing my recovery stories and encouraged me to submit Doris' story to their website. 

I contacted Doris' daughter to make sure her family was O.K. with this. I enjoyed a heartwarming conversation. She was enthusiastic about her mom's story being posted on a national recovery website. My story is one of many voices you'll read on the SAMHSA site. What a privilege to offer encouragement and hope to others like me who have struggled with a loved one's addiction.

My contact at SAMHSA asked me to invite you to submit your own recovery story. Here's the link to my story (Deb K.) and more information: http://www.recoverymonth.gov/Voices-for-Recovery/Stories.aspx

Let's help carry the message of hope!

The bright side of addiction is recovery! -Neil S.