Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a serious medical condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Despite its prevalence, those struggling with addiction often face significant stigma, discrimination, and legal barriers that hinder their recovery. For many, the experience is not just about managing addiction, but also navigating the intersection of addiction and disability rights.

In this blog post, we will explore how SUD is viewed through the lens of disability rights, the importance of self-advocacy, and how knowledge of these rights can help reduce the stigma that surrounds addiction.

My journey toward sobriety and through recovery from alcoholism has been full of trial and error, courage, patience and willingness. The ongoing road of growth in recovery is fraught with challenges, the most daunting of which being the moments when I am tempted to drink. Despite the many consequences (whether physical, emotional or spiritual) I have faced in the past due to my consumption of alcohol, temptations and desires still arise and I HAVE to take action in order to protect my sobriety.

I don’t know if you saw it, but there was a rocket launch this weekend. SpaceX launched their newest model of rocket called Starship. This rocket is a beast. It’s the largest rocket to ever fly. It’s bigger than the Saturn V which was used to send astronauts to the moon. Like most rockets, it is staged. It has an upper stage that will be used for people & cargo, and a lower stage that boosts all that stuff up through earth’s atmosphere.

Reach out to us to find out more about narcan. We have free narcan available.

The good Samaritan law protects action, carry narcan, know CPR and remember breath saves lives.

We’ve joined with Project Opioid. https://www.projectopioid.org/ and Soar Outreach, Access and Recovery for this save a life day. Be prepared.

Harlan Serenity Foundation is going to MOVE A MUSCLE TO SAVE A LIFE! We’re completing a Tough Mudder event which has not only challenging physical obstacles but also is a great way to raise awareness and funds for recovery.

Our Wilderness Warriors are using perseverance and teamwork for this event because recovery takes some of both! If you would like to be part of this event, you can join in the event, donate one time or become part of our monthly donors or feel free to promote the event.

Take a few minutes outside in nature to listen to the purpose behind what we do. Thank you Will White, Stories from the Field for all you do for the wilderness community.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saving-lives-how-wilderness-therapy-can-help-people/id1440862416?i=1000668144641

Pictured from left to right Sarah Holliwell, Abbie Squier, Graham Squier, Melissa Squier, Brittany Trumbull, Steve Trumbull, John Marx, absent Edward Coderman

Connecting with nature is widely recognized as a beneficial component of the recovery process due to its numerous healing properties. Engaging in outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, cycling, running, swimming, and seasonal sports offers significant advantages for those in recovery.

Being active in natural settings can help combat chronic diseases, alleviate stress and depression, accelerate healing, strengthen the immune system, and more. Emerging research is beginning to uncover the reasons behind these benefits: nature impacts us both mentally and physically, influencing us at a cellular level.

Common questions about 12 step programs

Am I Fully Recovered after Treatment? After you finish treatment, it is now time to begin your new life as a sober person in recovery. You may have returned to your home, moved in with a family member or maybe were admitted to a sober living facility. The question you might ask yourself is: ‘Am I recovered?’ Well, according to the medical model of addiction, addicts and alcoholics are never fully recovered from our disease. We are recovering. What does this mean? Simply put, it means that we must continue to work on our recovery every day to ensure that we do not regress into old patterns of behavior that are almost guaranteed to lead us back to using and drinking.

One of the first things I heard in recovery rooms is to make your bed. When we wake up in the morning, we’ve done nothing wrong. We wake up with a choice and the first choice we can make is to do something right. It’s a two-minute process to make your bed. The first right thing to do is to make the bed.

Whenever my bed is made, I can go back to that room and know I have done something right. It’s really that simple.

I want to take this post very seriously. To that end, let me put together some disclaimers.

1. This information is not all-inclusive. Do your own research! Putting your family members under the care of other people is something you should always take seriously! Your family situation is unique and you should gather as much information as possible.
2. I have not personally undergone this process. My brother, not my children, and not myself, participated in Wilderness Programs. My children are still very young and addictions are not currently in their picture. Talk to people who have done this with their family and get their perspectives. It’s important to gather as much information as possible (notice a theme?).
3. I haven’t looked at every single Wilderness Program. There are far too many, and many of them too small to even find. I have done my research, but that is not exhaustive. Gather as much information as possible!
4. There are bad programs. I’m not going to sugar coat it. Bad people do bad things. There are bad wilderness programs out there, just as there are bad people in every industry. Do not put your family member under the care of bad people! Gather as much information as possible.

In order to pick a wilderness program, you really should understand what a wilderness program is. In short, it’s camping. Participants often don’t have access to air conditioning of any kind. Not all programs include actual buildings, and many have long periods without access to a tent, instead opting for sleeping in hammocks, sleeping bags, and other apparatuses–often called “bivvies” or “bivouac” which is really just a fancy term for “improvised shelter”. As with any camp, you expect a number of planned activities, some survival related, some social, some more spiritual (e.g. meditation). For that reason, you can expect a number of tools involved, like axes, knives, and potentially even guns (not every program includes these). You should make sure you know what life will look like for your family member.