Addiction and Recovery

By James Olmos, Mental Health Trainee

In many ways, addiction and recovery can be an ongoing healing journey for many folx. People using any drug might be hurting or in pain without receiving the proper support. They’re instead criminalized. Too often, communities of color are among the most targeted populations in criminalization. The ongoing nature of this phenomenon stems from years of oppression, including the war on drugs.

All people are going through challenging periods and transitions in their life. Getting real with yourself can look like reaching out to people and building community. It’s not an easy process which is why people fall back into addiction, because even though we might have stopped using, we are still hurting from trauma wounds that trace back to our ancestors and the scars they carried. Please notice all the beauty and gifts you hold that people have yet to see. In his book Recovering your Sacredness, in which Jerry Tello shares steps to detox and break the cycle of painful, generational patterns, he writes, “I am sacred, I am a blessing.” 

You are all a blessing.

Click HERE for info on our Recovery Support Group for students at MiraCosta.