Mental Health was greatly stigmatized in my community as I was growing up. It wasn’t spoken about unless someone, who might have been exhibiting some kind of challenges, was pointed at and spoken of in a derogatory manner or at best, sympathetically. The entire focus in my family’s home was on survival, not mental health. When you spend a large part of your life being told that “it’s just in your head,” you don’t feel so good and you’re certain to be far from well.

Early in my recovery, I had stopped using alcohol and cocaine for a few months and found myself unable to make decisions and take action. Brushing my teeth had suddenly become an arduous task and I seldomly made it past the dresser where the remote control lived. This was incredibly puzzling as my life had spiraled out of control as I ravaged through my community for so long due to my drug use. Now I felt useless and void of any energy and life without the drugs, a complete 180, until the day someone from my peer group called since I hadn’t shown up at group for a few weeks and told me I was depressed. That was the day that I decided that I really wanted help. I realized I had been self-medicating via the use of substances for a very long, long time. This is what had supported my survival for so long. I then went on to participate in treatment for the next three and a half years.

In 2022, SAMHSA reported that about 1 out of every 2 people with substance use disorder also had co-occurring mental health challenges. Last year, we partnered with the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation to develop “Coaching Mental Wellness”, a 12 hour/12 CE curricula that supports recovery coaches in working with individuals experiencing mental health challenges. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, we would like to offer next month’s class at 20% off!