5K Bird Walk for Recovery
February is Heart Health Month
Substance Use & Cardiac Risk
Substance use isn’t just a mental health or liver issue; it’s a cardiovascular crisis. Since 1999, substance-related heart deaths have risen 4% annually. Whether it’s legal or illicit, what you consume directly dictates how your heart performs.
Key Cardiovascular Risks
The impact of substance use falls into three dangerous categories:
- Immediate Crisis: A one-time dose of cocaine or stimulants can trigger a heart attack or sudden heart failure, even in young users.
- Infection: Intravenous drug use introduces bacteria into the bloodstream, which can migrate to and destroy heart valves (Endocarditis).
- Structural Decay: Chronic use causes irreversible scarring and thickening of the heart walls, permanently reducing its pumping power.
| Substance | The Damage | The Result |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Stretches and weakens heart muscle. | Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy |
| Cocaine | Causes extreme vessel constriction. | The Perfect Heart Attack |
| Opioids/Meth | Causes systemic strain and inflammation. | Chronic Heart Failure |
| Tobacco | Replaces oxygen with carbon monoxide. | Hypertension & Stroke |
| Cannabis | Disrupts the heart's electrical timing. | Arrhythmias |
RECOVERY COLLECTIVE
Purpose and Structure
Definition of a Collective
A Collective is a group of individuals who are united by at least one shared issue or interest. Members work collaboratively, motivated by this commonality, to pursue a specific and shared objective.
Primary Objective
The central goal that brings the Collective together is RECOVERY.
Why do people take drugs?
People take drugs for a few reasons:
- To feel good. Drugs can produce intense feelings of pleasure. Cocaine is a stimulant, and the high is followed by feelings of power, self-confidence, and increased energy. Opioids such as heroin/OxyContin is followed by feelings of relaxation and satisfaction.
- To feel better. Some people who suffer from social anxiety, stress, and depression start using drugs to try to feel less anxious. Stress plays a major role in starting and continuing drug.
- To do better. People sometimes feel pressure to improve their focus in school or at work or their abilities in sports. This can play a role in trying or continuing to use drugs.
- Curiosity and social pressure. Teens are at risk because peer pressure can be very strong. Adolescence is a period during which risk factors, such as peers who use drugs, may lead to substance use.
September 30, 2024
National Recovery Month Observed
Zoom Webinar
National Recovery Month is an observance held every September to educate communities that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and/or substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. The theme is “Every Person. Every Family. Every Community.”
Join the Recovery Aunties Movement
Are you the one they can always call? Maybe you’re the one with that available shoulder to lean on. If the answer is yes, then you qualify. "Recovery Aunties" are individuals who offer support, wisdom, and presence to those in recovery from drugs, alcohol, mental health issues, grief and trauma. Recovery Aunties are community members, friends, or family who feel called to uplift others. We’re here to provide education and support for the Recovery Auntie.
Ways to Get Involved:
- Register to be a Recovery Auntie and join our support network.
- Share your story or nominate someone who’s been a Recovery Auntie in your life.
- Attend our upcoming workshops and circles.