Our Stories
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Voice of the Recovery Community Award
Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) is the recipient of The Joel Hernandez Voice of the Recovery Community Award!
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Our Stories
Jim Hendrickson
After thirty years in recovery and being told I had to give it away to keep it. I realized what I had been giving away all of those years kept me sober, but it wasn’t doing much to inspire those who were not in the program and knew nothing of what recovery could bring. It occurred to me that those who were still suffering from Alcohol and Drug addiction were unlikely to be exposed to the fact that they could find recovery and a new way of life. It also became evident to me that those in recovery would have to be willing to tell their story of recovery at a public level to inspire others, and rid our society of the stigma involved in addictions.
Many people don’t realize that they interact with one or more recovering people each day. The reason for this is that most people with years of recovery simply won’t speak out about their recovery due to the stigma involved.
- “THEY CHOOSE TO DO IT”
- “THEY COULD STOP IF THEY WANTED TO”
- “IT’S THEIR OWN FAULT”
- “THEY BROUGHT IT ON THEMSELVES”
These statements simply are not true! Addiction is a disease that can be fatal if not treated. However, when treated, alcoholics and addicts can and do become responsible members of their communities. STIGMA SHOULD NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD!
These thoughts had been on my mind for sometime when I was asked to attend a presentation explaining the vision and mission of Friends of Recovery, New Jersey. During the presentation it became clear to me that this group would be the perfect vehicle to carry the message of recovery and reverse the stigma surrounding Alcohol and Drug Addiction. This group also would give me an opportunity to speak out about the very real need for parity in the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions.
Treatment for diabetes and heart disease is unlimited. This is not the case with alcohol or drug addictions. Many are currently paying for addiction treatment in their insurance policies but when treatment is needed the coverage is minimal. The problems of alcoholism and drug addiction involve Physical, Mental, and Spiritual factors. These factors require an undefined period of time in treatment before recovery begins to work. Whatever that period of time, it should be covered, as well as any other disease would be.
As I indicated above I have been in recovery for more than thirty years. That recovery did not come easy. It took more than four years of trying before I finally got sober to stay. At that time I had been on a binge for thirty-five days. I felt as though I would end up in a mental hospital or dead if I didn’t quit drinking. I returned to a recovery program and later received the treatment needed to stay sober. Treatment that is not as readily available today!
When my recovery began in 1972 I had very little education and struggled to stay sober. I had very little interest in the community where I was living. Today that has changed I am the chairman of the Plumsted Municipal Alcohol and Drug Alliance and have held the position for the last twelve years. The Alliance is one of twenty-two Alliances in Ocean County New Jersey. The Governors’ Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction funds the Alliance. The Governors’ Council was formed in 1990 with a County Council in each of our 21 Counties. Our alliance works with community organizations to establish Prevention and Education programs through the schools and various alliance programs. Through the alliance I provide free counseling and education to individuals referred by the court system
or probation department. The only requirement for the program is that they live in the township. We also have someone from the county prevention and education office administering our Intoxicated Driver Resource Classes.
I am also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and do volunteer work in that capacity for the community. Before my retirement I worked as an assessment counselor for the Juvenile Justice Commission. During the two-years that I worked there I completed over five hundred assessments of young boys between the ages of twelve and nineteen. I could identify with most of them. Most were poor inter-city youths who were incarcerated for violation of probation that involved alcohol and drug use or selling drugs. In many cases the parents were using alcohol or drugs on a regular basis. I shared my story with these children and used that to inspire them to agree to whatever treatment was available to them.
In the future I intend to be public with my recovery through speaking engagements and other activities wherever and whenever I can. I believe the process of giving away your story and the wisdom you receive from the recovery program is important to personal recovery and should be experienced to stay clean and sober. However, when your recovery is at a successful stage, it is just as important to give it away as an inspiration to those who don’t know that recovery is a choice that they can make.
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