Around Town

Letter on Awareness Vigil: ‘Addiction Thrives on Secrecy and Isolation’

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Dear Editor,

I see first-hand the struggles your children, our community, and those surrounding us face with addiction and substance abuse. 

I’m writing to urge New Canaan families to attend the New Canaan Parent Support Group’s 3rd Annual Community Addiction Awareness Vigil on September 5th. As a Kids In Crisis TeenTalk counselor at New Canaan High School I provide confidential counseling services to students dealing with numerous mental health, academic, social, and family issues. I also participate in the New Canaan Parent Support Group, an organization dedicated to the prevention and intervention of substance use in our town.  The New Canaan Parent Support Group, and the upcoming Vigil, are important elements of the response to substance abuse in our town. 

Addiction thrives on secrecy and isolation. Stigma is a huge barrier to treatment for many struggling with addiction and other mental health issues. The Vigil encourages us to challenge this stigma, and instead be vocal about addiction.