Voices of Recovery (VoR) is an initiative of Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) which has a mission to reduce harm from alcohol. 

The initiative aims to bring together people with lived experience of alcohol addiction to champion recovery and spread the message that change is possible. 

In this episode, we speak to three long-term recovery advocates and members of Voices of Recovery, board member of Alcohol Action Ireland, Paddy Creedon, recovery centre worker, Val Ward and Olympic medalist, psychotherapist and politician, Kenneth Egan. 

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• Finding yourself through recovery 
• The impact of alcohol on mental health 
• The Voices of Recovery campaign 
• Driving policy changes for alcohol addiction treatment 
• Shame and stigma around alcohol addiction 
• Drinking culture in Ireland 
• Power in peer to peer support 
• How to gain political support for change 
• Statistics of alcohol misuse 
• Alcohol issues in younger people, particularly young men 
• Impact of alcohol abuse on the whole family 

MORE INFORMATION

If you are looking for support visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/ 

To find out more about Alcohol Action Ireland visit alcoholireland.ie

Voices of Recovery campaign: https://alcoholireland.ie/campaigns/voices-of-recovery/ 

QUOTES

My main objective was to normalize the possibility of change and possibility of recovery. It's there for everybody. It's not a big secret, it's not just a select group of people that can get recovery. It's there for everyone, but you just need to want it. - Kenneth Egan 

For me, I didn't like the person I was. I put a mask on for every occasion. I wanted people to like me but today I don't do that for anyone to like me, I am who I am. And I always say this, today, I'm the person I was born to be. - Val Ward 

Worldwide, 3 million people die every year where alcohol is a factor. In Europe, it's almost a million. In Ireland, four people will die today because alcohol is a factor. - Paddy Creedon 

In the UK, for every pound that they invest in recovery, and in the services that we are trying to advocate for here, in the first five years after that pound is invested, the government or the state get back five pounds. In 10 years that goes to 26 pounds. We're saying we're the living example that recovery is achievable. - Paddy Creedon 

KEYWORDS

#recovery #alcohol #advocate #sober #addiction

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