Talbot Partnership for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention advises that September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Communities across the nation celebrate community members’ recovery from alcohol and drug dependence by spreading the word in a variety of ways that it is indeed possible to recover from the ravages of addiction to alcohol, prescription and other drugs. The organization Faces and Voices of Recovery.org gives website readers an inside look at what it means to “recover” from this chronic and potentially fatal disease.

In Talbot County, our Blue Ribbon Commission has been looking at Talbot County’s significant substance problem since it was appointed by the County Council in 2007. Its 2009 findings are available at www.talbotpartnership.orgwhere local and state level strategies to address the problems created by substance abuse and dependence can be reviewed.

On the web, Sober.Com, Staying Cyber; eGetGoing, and Shouting Inside are available to all. Also, PillsAnonymous.org, and MarijuanaAnonymous.org offer an anonymous look into what it means to recover from those substances. A wealth of information is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). For family members, there are groups including Al-Anon Family Groups, and Families Anonymous that provide assistance.

Locally, treatment for substance abuse or dependence is available on a sliding-fee scale at the Talbot County Addictions Program at 410.819.5900, or through Shore Behavioral Health at 410. 822.1000 X5452.

More than 23 million people aged 12 or older needed treatment for a substance use disorder in the United States in 2007. Many people do not understand that addiction is a treatable disease, and this misconception can keep people from getting help. In 2007, as many as 20.8 million people nationwide needed but did not receive treatment at a specialty facility.

For further information and assistance, contact the Talbot County Department of Health, 410-819-5900