People in Recovery are FINALLY Getting Politically Active (in Boston)

One of my pet peeves, as a politically minded person in recovery, is that people in recovery do not often vote or care about politics.  We need to become a special interest if we want to get heard and support from our local, state, and federal government.  Look at the lobby for people with autism, cancer, or any other non-stigmatized disease or condition.  The awareness at the political level forces politicians to listen to this people and act on it a.k.a. appropriate money to their cause.

Check out this article on a Boston mayoral candidate who’s in recovery getting other folks in recovery to volunteer for his campaign.  Here’s the link.

Imagine if we organized to the point we are like a union of some sort.  Politicians would then care about us and try to help out constituency.  A simple fact in politics is that if your constituency does not vote (or donate money) then they are not represented.  There are organizations such as Faces & Voices of Recovery and Young People in Recovery that are trying to do this – but they need more support.

We need more treatment centers that are evidence based (aka not “Pray to God and do the steps and you’ll be free from addiction”).  We need recovery support services that will allow those of us who are in recovery to stay in recovery.  Treating addiction as a health problem rather than a criminal justice issue is imperative.  It saves society money (long-term) to treat addicts/alcoholics and keep them sober.  No more costs to our healthcare system on overdoses or hospitalizations of our selves or others that we inflict harm on, way less stress in our already massive prison population, low-bottom people going from being drains on society to contributors, and so many more positive benefits.