YouTube Vids Spread Recovery Hope

We're in the middle of Recovery Month, and one of the more interesting ways it's being marked is through a YouTube series. Young People in Recovery is a collection of stories told by young women and men. “Recovery has really given me an opportunity to have freedom to do anything because I’m no longer chained by alcohol and drug addiction,” says Greg Williams, a 28-year-old who is 11 years clean and sober, in his video. “The moment that changed everything was when I got into a near-fatal car accident. I woke up in the hospital a couple days later and from there that’s where my recovery started. It was in treatment where I found that hope and motivation to change my life.” Young People in Recovery is supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Faces & Voices of Recovery donors. The videos were filmed in Boston back in January, and are intended to spread the positive message that recovery is possible. “Alcohol and drugs took everything from me. Before I found recovery I could be in a room full of people and feel alone and scared and hopeless. I just didn’t like who I was!” says Justin Riley, 24, who has been in recovery since 2007. “There is hope and solution for everyone.” If you have a recovery story, you can find information on how to participate at facesandvoicesofrecovery.org.

Kristina Fenn—Young Person in Recovery: