Cllr Niamh Whelan, Tara Deacy, Sergeant Emer Lamon, Cllr Alan Edge, Marie Nugent and Cllr Adam Smyth
Helping people realise problems of addiction
TALLAGHT Drug and Alcohol Task Force launched the Recovery Month activities this year on Tuesday morning, with a range of events planned for the month.
Recovery Month is held every September and seeks to raise awareness about substance misuse and addiction as well as behavioural and mental health disorders and develop a stronger understanding around these, while also celebrating those that have overcome addiction issues.
The Tallaght schedule is packed out with fun days, walks, coffee mornings and talks aimed at helping people understand the problems those with addiction face, the services at their disposal, and see first-hand those that have worked their way to the other side.
Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force Coordinator Anthea Carry described what Recovery Month means to her.
The local task force coordinator said: “There’s a whole bunch of people that are going through similar journeys together. Recovery Month is a way of connecting that and letting people understand that they’re part of a much, much bigger movement.”
Locals are dotted around the place through the month, from a barbecue for aftercare in the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project at Kiltalown House, a fun day at the St Dominic’s Church grounds next Saturday, and a Recovery Café on Tuesday, September 29 at JADD on Jobstown Road.
Tracey O’Halloran, Carla Whelan and Lynda Kavanagh
There is also a national event listed as part of the Tallaght calendar – the annual Recovery Walk on Saturday that starts from the Garden of Remembrance and travels up to Merrion Square.
Coordinator Carry acknowledged once more the rise in numbers of people presenting to services in the area, and across the country, and encouraged people not to look at this negatively.
“Recovery when it’s seen and visible, is contagious . . . so, the way I see numbers increasing in services means that more people who know that they have a substance problem are accessing services.”
Recovery Month has been in place since 1989 and, year-on-year, people have stopped to reflect in September on the challenges, setbacks, successes and communities that people in recovery may face.
Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Francis Timmons offered solidarity to those dealing with their own battles to recovery.
Mayor Timmons stated: “Recovery is not always easy. There can be setbacks, difficult days, and moments when people may feel that they are walking alone but nobody is walking alone.
“We stand as a community side by side . . . for someone taking their first steps in recovery, seeing a community come together can be a powerful reminder that there is hope.
“For someone further along their journey, it can be a reminder of just how far they have come.”
