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. By refusing to turn a blind eye, or dismiss substance abuse as “not my issue,” we can send a message as a community that those individuals and families struggling with addiction are not alone, and that it is safe to ask for help.
My hope is that by attending the Vigil and acknowledging the very real, very tragic effects that addictive substances have on families in our community, we might reduce the stigma surrounding acknowledging addiction, asking for, and receiving help.
The Vigil encourages us to “Help Each Other To Heal.” In this spirit, I urge you to please reach out to someone close to you and ask them to join you at the Vigil on September 5th. If you are a parent, bring your kids so that they will see the power of community support. Your presence will mean more to one of your neighbors than you can imagine, and your willingness to acknowledge a crisis head-on will model advocacy to your children.
Local helpers and I will be easily identified by our “Team Orange” t-shirts at the Vigil. I welcome any opportunity to offer support, referrals, or a listening ear. I hope to see you, your family, and friends as we “Help Each Other To Heal” at the Vigil September 5th!
Take Care,
Emma Kate Freatman
Kids in Crisis
24 hour Helpline: 203-661-1911
ekfreatman@kidsincrisis.org