‘It’s about celebrating recovery’

AN EXCITING mix of events for Recovery Month kicked off with a well-attended launch at the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project in Kiltalown House in Jobstown on Friday.

It marked the first time that local drug projects officially launched Recovery Month, which celebrates the recovery community in Tallaght and reminds people of the services that are available to them.

Mayor Alan Edge spoke at the launch and voiced his support for Recovery Month to the delight of local drug projects workers and clients.

Grace Hill from the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force told The Echo: “It was really good. It was the first time we formally launched Recovery Month.

“It was brilliant and fair play to Mayor Alan Edge, like [former Mayor] Emma Murphy last year, he’s committed to Recovery Month.”

She added: “It’s important that it’s not just about the drug services, because one of the key goals is to spread the word of recovery and to reduce stigma.

“Hopefully people will reach out and seek help and support.

“Everyone knows there’s a drug issue in Tallaght, so why not highlight the positives and the great services we have in Tallaght.”

Some of the highlights of Recovery Month include a talk, titled ‘Different Pathways to Recovery’ in JADD today, Thursday, September 7 at 7pm and all are welcome to attend.

The HSE’s Youth Drug and Alcohol Service (YoDA) will hold a coffee morning on Tuesday, September 12, at the Kilnamanagh Primary Healthcare Centre and all are welcome to attend.

A suicide awareness talk will be held in the Jobstown Community Centre from 12 midday to 1.30pm on Friday, Saturday 15.

A glowing success story for both last year’s and this year’s Recovery Month is the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project’s (TRP) ‘Celebration of Recovery’ in the Civic Theatre.

The event sold out yet again this year and will see service users from TRP share their experiences of recovery in a variety of creative formats on the Civic Theatre stage on September 18.

A talent show titled JADD’s Got Talent will take place in JADD’s premises in Jobstown on Thursday, September 28, at 7pm and all are welcome.

Recovery Month will conclude with a Recovery Walk past drug projects in West Tallaght on September 29, followed by a football tournament in MacUilliam where players will compete for the Recovery Cup.

Commenting on the aim of Recovery Month, Ms Hill said: “It’s about celebrating recovery and what it means to different people.

“Recovery is a scale, sometimes it can mean going on a lower dose of methadone or accepting that your child is using drugs and protecting yourself.

“There’s still a huge amount of stigma around substance misuse and there’s a lot of bias, but Recovery Month opens the door and leaves that all aside, and asks you where you’re at in your recovery, and what supports you need.

“We also want to focus people’s minds and remind everyone that this is Recovery Month, and to raise awareness of recovery.”

For more information on drug and alcohol addiction support services visit the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force website.

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