In the United States, National Recovery Month is celebrated every September with aims to raise awareness for addiction and to support those in recovery. On September 17, A New Start Treatment (ANS), a treatment and recovery center based in Los Angeles, decided to put together a softball game in honor of Recovery Month. Partnering up with neighboring treatment center, Pacific View Recovery Center, ANS held their first "Sober Softball" game.
The goal of the day was three-fold. The first was to break the stigma that "fun" is synonymous with using drugs or alcohol. The second was to show the shared struggle of addiction between fellow residents and how they are not alone in their recovery. The third, and most important, was to show how supportive the community is in playing a positive role in the lives of those facing addiction.
We are now at a point in American society where addiction has become all too common. Every person has someone close to them, family member or friend, who has or is currently battling addiction. It is through community events like Sober Softball that we can support those in recovery and raise awareness for an epidemic that needs to end.