RecoveryFest 2003 Draws Thousands to Downtown Nashville

CONTACT: Vernon Martin
(615)269-0029 x138
Nashville Area Recovery Alliance (NARA)
vmartin@adcmt.org

Nashville, TN - Nashville's tribute to National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month brought more than 2,500 people to the downtown area this weekend to listen to personal stories of battles with addiction and celebrate those in recovery.

"When we tell people we had 2,500 here celebrating recovery, it gives them hope that by next year's event, they, too, can be a member of Middle Tennessee's recovery community," said Vernon Martin, director of the Nashville Area Recovery Alliance (NARA), one of the groups responsible for planning RecoveryFest 2003.

Throughout the event, Master of Ceremonies Eric Renegar, who's own story of recovery includes beating addiction to alcohol and drugs that lead to a suicide attempt, called for more substance use treatment services and better coordination of existing services.

"All those things that people used to be ashamed of are all the things we should be proud of, because we got over them, and they helped make us the people we are today," said Renegar.

Folk artist Steve Earle, singer and song writer Bob DiPiero and pianist John McAndrew were among the performers at The Hall of Fame/Hilton Park for RecoveryFest 2003. Booths lined the perimeter of the park, allowing recovery organizations, treatment agencies and artisans from all over Middle Tennessee to show how they have celebrated life since recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

"RecoveryFest 2003 provided the opportunity for all of us to get together and celebrate our recovery, to be happy, joyous and free," said Clarence Jordan of Foundations Associates, a treatment agency specifically targeting addicts with co-occurring disorders. "This event helps us show that we've moved on with our lives," he said.

Also attending RecoveryFest 2003 was the team responsible for releasing a new recovery tribute album, "SHARE, Songs of Hope, Awareness and Recovery for Everyone." SHARE brought several country artists together, including George Jones, Travis Tritt, John Prine, Martina McBride and Kathy Mattea to record a single and contribute songs to the album, from which all profits go to treatment scholarships and grants.

"Nashville is known for music so we thought that it was only fitting to ask artists to help us reach out to the recovery community with a CD compilation," said SHARE Vice President Stacey Slate-Easterling. "We anticipate that this CD will help highlight one of the biggest killers ever known, alcohol and drug addiction."

According to SAMHSA national statistics, it is estimated that 76 percent of those in need of treatment for a problem with illicit drugs did not seek or receive treatment. Among those most in need of effective, coordinated services are men, women, and youth who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and may also have a co-occurring mental disorder or co-existing physical illness.

Millions of people are in need of treatment for both substance abuse and mental disorders, but too often they are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or slip through the cracks entirely, such as those in our nation's homeless population. Half of the people living in our streets have co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.

Not only do people with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders need to be diagnosed, but both disorders must be treated because failure to do so almost assures an exacerbation of health problems.

As the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Report to Congress on the Prevention and Treatment of Co-occurring Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Disorders points out: "If one of the co-occurring disorders goes untreated, both usually get worse and additional complications often arise. The combination of disorders can result in poor response to traditional treatments, and increases the risk for other serious medical problems (e.g., HIV, hepatitis B and C, and cardiac and pulmonary diseases)."

During September, communities nationwide join together to help people recognize that substance abuse or addiction to drugs and alcohol is a treatable disease, and that treatment is as effective as it is for other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. However, in the case of co-occurring mental disorders or co-existing physical illnesses, it is important that the substance use and mental and physical conditions be treated simultaneously in a coordinated manner.

During Recovery Month, special efforts will be made by the Nashville Area Recovery Alliance (NARA), the Tennessee Association of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (TAADAS), and the Alcohol and Drug Council of Middle Tennessee to reach out to the health care provider and payer community to encourage their support for effective, available treatment for all those in need.

Recovery Month celebrates the successes of individuals who are in recovery and acknowledges those in the treatment field who dedicate their lives to helping men, women and children with addictions.

The Nashville Area Recovery Alliance (NARA) is an organization of individuals who are in recovery, along with their family members, significant others, as well as their friends and allies. NARA's mission is to facilitate the development of life skills within the recovery community by using the talents and energies of that community.

The Tennessee Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (TAADAS) founded in 1976, is a statewide, consumer-oriented, association representing thousands of consumers in recovery, family members, healthcare professionals & providers. Its mission is "to educate the public and influence state and national policy decisions in order to improve services to those who are affected by alcoholism and/or drug addiction.