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Healing Appalachia: How a West Virginia music festival uses the power of community to fight stigma
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Healing Appalachia: How a West Virginia music festival uses the power of community to fight stigma

Lavender serves as the board president of Hope in the Hills, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting recovery communities and helping to unite Appalachia in the face of an ongoing addiction crisis. Lavender explained the reason behind the need for the creation of the organization in Huntington, West Virginia in 2016. “We had 26 overdoses in 24 hours, so we got on the global map and became the spearhead for the opioid crisis and what was to come all over the country.”

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How to have Conversations with Adults about Substance Use
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How to have Conversations with Adults about Substance Use

Feeling connected and accepted is how we thrive as individuals in our families and communities. In conversations about substance use, connection is not just an added bonus—it is a necessity. These conversations can significantly impact an individual’s choices regarding substance use, their ability to support others and their willingness to seek help if they need it.

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Finding the Right Recovery Community for You
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Finding the Right Recovery Community for You

Dr. Noelle Bissell of the New River Valley Department of Health often reminds us, “The opposite of addiction is connection.” This simple yet profound truth underscores the essence of recovery. While there are countless policies, programs, and initiatives designed to support those in recovery, the heart of recovery isn’t found in funding spreadsheets or memorandums of understanding. True recovery is found in the connections we build with others..

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Connection as Prevention
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Connection as Prevention

“We have to connect and attach because otherwise we don’t survive” is a direct quote from Gabor Mate, a renowned expert on addiction, trauma, and childhood development. A lot of his work is centered around the relationship between trauma and substance use, as well as the role healing and connection play in someone’s recovery journey.

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Learning the Lingo
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Learning the Lingo

In a recovery ecosystem, you may frequently hear some unusual jargon, lingo, and acronyms that could make these conversations less accessible. And some terms and misuses are associated with stigma. In any case, understanding the lingo can help us “speak the same language” and promote empathy within our community.

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The Truth About Harm Reduction
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The Truth About Harm Reduction

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines harm reduction as an evidence-based approach that saves lives by engaging with people who use drugs and equipping them with the tools and the information to facilitate positive change in their lives. Harm reduction reduces overdose and overdose-related death, decreases the risk of infection and disease, and improves the overall well-being of others.

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