If you or a loved one is grappling with addiction, one of Western Washington’s leading recovery programs shares a vital message: You don’t have to do this alone.
Using drugs or alcohol as a way of escaping, or coping with life’s challenges, can have devastating effects for the individual and their family, says Steve Daggett, Substance Use Disorder Program Operations Manager with Sunrise Services.
“Whether it’s meth, or opiates, or alcohol or marijuana, it can start as a ‘quick fix to my problems,’” he says. “But for some people it translates into longer, more frequent use, which starts to produce negative consequences like loss of job, relationships, or domestic violence.”
Helping you emerge from isolation
Asking for help and shedding light on one’s problems is frequently the first step toward a healthier lifestyle, Daggett adds. “Addictions are definitely a disease of isolation, so our Substance Use Disorder program mission statement is ‘You don’t have to do this alone,” he says. “There are many things that alone may seem too difficult to accomplish, but together we can do just about anything. It is so much easier to do things when we don’t feel alone.”
Over 40 years of supporting residents
With recovery-related programs ranging from individual and group therapy to intensive outpatient treatment, and referrals to inpatient treatment if necessary, Sunrise Services has been helping individuals address behavioral health diagnoses since the 1970s. Their new Community Behavioral Health office in Everett, serving Snohomish County, is the latest addition to the health and wellness team.
Multi-pronged recovery program
If you’re willing to ask for help, Sunrise accepts you where you’re at, Daggett says. Whether you happen to be homeless, are facing legal issues or have simply identified a problem you’d like to address, supports are available for you to begin your recovery.
“Recovery is a lifelong journey, it’s not a destination where someone can say, ‘yes, I’ve recovered.’ It’s a ongoing process where you can hopefully say, ‘today I’m better than I was yesterday,’” Daggett says. “It’s about setting themselves up for that success, and developing those skills to get out in the community, talk to people with lived experience and learn how to replace those behaviors.”
One success can lead to another
The programs at Sunrise are linked in an integrated way, weaving mental health, housing and employment supports together with a person’s substance use recovery program. External community supports are also a part of the plan, including family and parenting classes, Daggett says. “We remind people that everyone is a whole person, not just their substance use.”
Reach out for help
To learn more about the range of services offered at Sunrise Services in Everett and around Western Washington, visit sunriseservicesinc.com, call 360-544-3838 or email 4change@sunriseemail.com. You can also follow Sunrise on Facebook.
