Burlington concert shines a light on substance recovery - WCAX

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BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The Turning Point Center of Chittenden County is taking over City Hall Park this evening as part of its “Party Sober VT” concert, an effort to shine a light on an important public health issue.

The state of public health has been a hot topic for the past year and a half, but the coronavirus pandemic is not the only concern.

“We hear a lot about the opioid abuse disorder epidemic and substance abuse disorder at large. It’s a real problem and we should be talking about that,” said Peter Espenshade with Recovery Vermont. Unfortunately for many, he says the pandemic only amplified existing substance abuse problems. And some experts believe that loneliness may have had a role in it all. “We operate under sort of the theory that the opposite of addiction is connection. and the more we get people connected, the better their recovery is going to be.”

Now, the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County is working hard to get those connections up to par and is trying to turn conversations about addiction into conversations about recovery. “We’re going to overcome it, it’s simply a public health issue,” Espenshade said.

According to the center’s Jimmie Searle, a great first move is setting up an appointment online with a recovery coach. “Recovery coaches go through specialized training. they’re certified to work with a specific population and they’re in recovery themselves. so they’re able to empathize and relate to the individual on a more personal level,” he said.

Not only can a recovery coach understand the feelings of addiction, but they can offer a judgment-free, friendly ear, and resources. “I came to the Turning Point Center to go to some 12 step meetings, and to me, this felt like a sort of home since being new to Vermont and everything,” said Liza Ryan, one of those coaches who started in a 12-step meeting program like Alcoholics Anonymous, or Narcotics Anonymous. She says something she’d like people to understand is that the path to recovery is not linear. “Everyone’s got their stuff coming into recovery and recovery is not at all like a one size fits all piece. It’s not about fixing it to me, it’s about how can I live my best life?”

And that’s one of the goals of Friday’s Party Sober Concert -- to foster conversations about how to get help, to celebrate those who have gone through treatment, and to help educate those who need it.

“It’s really hard to love someone in recovery because of all the things that come up when someone’s in the midst of their disease. But having some education around boundary- setting -- what does that look like, you know -- there’s so many programs and services that we have and we really want people to know that you’re not alone. There is help and there are a lot of people who want to be there for you,” Ryan said.

The free concert runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at City Hall Park.

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