National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) started in 1989 and is a national observance held every September to promote and support evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.
“During National Recovery Month, we celebrate the more than 20 million Americans who have had the courage to seek help for substance use disorder, showing millions of others that recovery is possible,” President Biden wrote in the official proclamation. “Substance use disorder affects families in every corner of our country.”
More than 106,000 people in the US died from drug-involved overdose in 2021. Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) continued to rise with 70,601 overdose deaths reported in 2021. Those involving stimulants, including cocaine or psychostimulants with abuse potential (primarily methamphetamine), also continued to increase with 32,537 overdose deaths in 2021.
Increasingly, fentanyl is also killing children and teens in the United States. “There were about 1,550 pediatric deaths from fentanyl in 2021—over 30 times more than in 2013 when the wave of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids started in the US,” CNN’s Deidre McPhillips reported in May. “A surge that began in 2018 led to a nearly three-fold increase in deaths among older adolescents and a nearly six-fold increase among children younger than five. In 2021, 40 infants and 93 children ages one to four died from a fentanyl overdose.”
Many teenagers struggling with mental health issues will attempt to alleviate their emotional pain by misusing psychoactive substances such as alcohol, cannabis, depressants, and stimulants. Many of them require treatment or risk escalating their substance misuse to dangerous levels.
Every year, Recovery Month reminds people that recovery from substance use disorder is possible. “Millions of Americans know and love someone who is in recovery,” wrote the President. “We want everyone to know that they are never alone. As a Nation working together, we can make recovery real for more Americans.”
Recovery at Avanti Behavioral Health
There is a new treatment option for teenagers at risk in the Denver area. A few months ago, Avanti Behavioral Health launched an intensive outpatient program (IOP) for clients between the ages of 13 and 18 in Greenwood Village, Colorado.
At Avanti, we constantly strive to explore and integrate the latest and most effective ways to serve our teens and families. By embracing innovation and staying abreast of emerging research, therapies, and treatment techniques, we ensure that our adolescents receive the most comprehensive and cutting-edge care available.
Our mission is to provide comprehensive, holistic, family-centered, and trauma-informed care for your teen. We recognize the role of family integration as a pillar of our comprehensive treatment approach. By offering resources and education, we empower parents to effectively support their child’s journey while attending to their own needs.
The aim of the Avanti team is to cultivate a sense of purpose and worth, allowing adolescents to recognize their value and potential as strong members of their communities. By embracing community integration, we pave the way for our teens to build meaningful connections, gain a sense of fulfillment, and create positive impacts that extend far beyond their treatment journey.
If your teen needs help, do not delay seeking treatment. For more information about our IOP and family programming call us at (720) 753-4030.
