SILENTTREATMENT.INFO
Transcripts from Pat Taylor Chat Session (08/08/2006)

[8/8/2006 11:30:26 AM] [Entrance] [MODERATOR] "Welcome to the “Silent Treatment: Addiction in America” web chat, where we’ll discuss addiction issues featured in the “Silent Treatment” newspaper series and website. It’s my pleasure to introduce Pat Taylor, a recovery advocate and activist with Faces & Voices of Recovery, who appeared as a subject in the fifth in a series of five Public Access Journalism stories examining addiction treatment and recovery, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and now appearing in newspapers nationwide. Pat is at the forefront of the relatively new recovery movement, which confronts discrimination and encourages those living with addictions to step out of the shadows. She’s ready to take your questions and comments, so fire away by entering your message in box at bottom."

[8/8/2006 11:31:48 AM] [Entrance] [pattaylor] "Hi and thanks for the opportunity to be on today's chat"

[8/8/2006 11:31:31 AM] [Entrance] [Kimmie] "Hi, my name is Kimmie and I have been on xanax for over 10 years. I am totally addicted now, with the only chance of getting off being a support group online."

[8/8/2006 11:31:55 AM] [MODERATOR] "QUESTION FROM EARLIER: I’m a family member and it’s been incredibly difficult to get help for my relative that’s still in active addiction. Is there a place for me in the recovery advocacy movement?"

[8/8/2006 11:32:19 AM] [MODERATOR] "Hi, Kimmie. Welcome back."

[8/8/2006 11:32:53 AM] [Kimmie] "Doing a regular de-tox, like a street drug is impossible for benzo users. It takes us years to slowly taper off and then we spend years after withdrawl still having horrible symptoms. Where is any help for us?"

[8/8/2006 11:33:41 AM] [Entrance] [Ross] "Hi Moderator and Pat Taylor"

[8/8/2006 11:33:49 AM] [Ross] "hi Kimmie"

[8/8/2006 11:33:57 AM] [Kimmie] "Hi, Ross"

[8/8/2006 11:34:04 AM] [MODERATOR] "Hi, Ross: Welcome back from the UK"

[8/8/2006 11:34:21 AM] [pattaylor] "Absolutely yes, it's the combined visions of people in long-term recovery, their family members, our friends and allies that are going to make it possible to change public attitudes about people needing help. and removing discriminatory policies. In MA and NJ and many other states there are organizations of parents who are advocates and working closely with other recovery advocates"

[8/8/2006 11:34:43 AM] [Kimmie] "I think the UK has a greater understanding of benzo addiction than the US."

[8/8/2006 11:35:01 AM] [Ross] "thanks Moderator glad you remembered me buddy "

[8/8/2006 11:35:41 AM] [Ross] "We may have a better understanding of benzo's but I believe USA is ahead of Britain on recognising and treating alcohol related issues"

[8/8/2006 11:35:56 AM] [MODERATOR] "QUESTION FROM EARLIER: How get I get in touch with recovery advocates in my area?"

[8/8/2006 11:36:16 AM] [pattaylor] "Kimmie, hope that you can find the support that you need"

[8/8/2006 11:36:54 AM] [Entrance] [Dale] "Pat - Thanks for being on the chat. I'm from the DC area so naturally I have a politically related question. Do you see differences in treatment programs in what we now call red states and blue states? Do you think the treatment community needs to become more politically active and vocal? "

[8/8/2006 11:36:59 AM] [Kimmie] "That's probably true, but try getting valium in the US to do a proper taper. Doctor's seem to think valium is a horrible drug while instead promoting xanax, klonopin, ativan....why?"

[8/8/2006 11:37:28 AM] [MODERATOR] "One of the biggest issues we've come across during reporting on the series, in webchats and in reaction has been the stigma of addiction, and the discrimination that results, and how it affects everything from treatment to jobs. Do you see that changing at all?"

[8/8/2006 11:37:36 AM] [pattaylor] "Faces & Voices of Recovery is governed by the recovery commuity and is organized with regional representatives. You can go to our web site at www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org to find out if there's a recovery community organization near you by clicking on the map on our home page and then going to your state for a list of recovry community organizations in your state. If there isn't a group where you liv and you'd like to start one, please email me at info@facesandvoicesofrecovery.org"

[8/8/2006 11:38:06 AM] [Kimmie] "That's the problem, Pat, there is no help here for us benzo people."

[8/8/2006 11:39:07 AM] [pattaylor] "Dale, thanks for your message and joining us on the chat and naturally you have a politically-related question. I don't know aobut differences between red and blue states, but one thing that we do know is that when people get organized and mobilized they can make a difference in terms of making recovery possible for folks in their communities. It's importnat that people organize and speak out to get the services that they need in their communities and to change policies that discriminate against those in recovery."

[8/8/2006 11:39:38 AM] [Ross] "Pat Taylor, do you believe that addiction should be treated as a one size fits all or should treatments focus on the individual and the different drugs? For example if one person takes drugs or drink as a cumpulsion or another takes them simply because they are physically addicted or others take them because of trauma in childhood? I find in the UK many 'experts' simply focus on the addiction and treat everyone the same way. What are your views?"

[8/8/2006 11:41:00 AM] [pattaylor] "Moderator, I think that there's a growing movement of people speaking out and that's one important way that we can fight the attitudes and stigma that face people needing help as well as their family members. We've had recent success nationally in securing partial repeal of the ban on federal financial aid to students with drug convictions and all across the country people are organizing to restore voting rights to individuals with criminal convictions, make it possible for recovery homes and recovery supports to be available for people returning to their communities from incarceration or treatment"

[8/8/2006 11:41:18 AM] [Ross] "hi samantha"

[8/8/2006 11:41:35 AM]  [Ross] "lots of familar faces today"

[8/8/2006 11:41:44 AM] [Entrance] [jeannie] "Hi Pat ... just here to give u some support"

[8/8/2006 11:41:48 AM] [Entrance] [Samantha-Hope] "Hi Ya'll!"

[8/8/2006 11:41:49 AM] [Ross] "or names lol"

[8/8/2006 11:42:00 AM] [Kimmie] "Hi, Samantha!!!"

[8/8/2006 11:42:55 AM] [pattaylor] "Ross, thanks so much for your question, as there are more and more ways that people can achieve long-term recovery, it's even more important that we realize that people need to be able to find the treatment and recovery support services that best suit them so that they are able to get the kind of help they need. One of the real barriers that we face is that because of discriminatory policies people aren't often able to get the help or opportunity to recover that makes the most sense to them, that's why we need to speak out and let folks now that recovery is a reality and is happening all across our country and we need to make it possible for even more people to achieve it"

[8/8/2006 11:43:38 AM] [MODERATOR] "welcome, Samantha"

[8/8/2006 11:43:42 AM] [pattaylor] "Sam and Jeannie -- Hi, great to have you on the chat, please join in the conversation about these important issues that we're talking about today. great to have you here!"

[8/8/2006 11:45:10 AM] [Dale] "It's interesting you mentioned "discriminatory policies" in answer to Ross's question. Seems far fetched today but as we learn more about the addiction as a disease could you see those with addictions receiving protection under the law? Do you think the evidence today warrants that? "

[8/8/2006 11:45:14 AM] [Ross] "Pat thanks for reply. You share the views of me that there are more than one way of recovery. I feel each individual and each drug is unique and the circumstances and reasons for use or abuse is unique and needs specific treatment."

[8/8/2006 11:46:04 AM] [jeannie] "Well if you don't mind me jumping in...I think another area that we need to educate is the treatment providers. There are many paths to recovery and treatment providers have been providing the same services the same way for many, many years."

[8/8/2006 11:46:08 AM] [Kimmie] "That's a great answer, Pat, but what about us people who the "mainstream" medicine won't touch. You can't treat a benzo victim in 28 days. Not possible. This is a long, long journey, with no help or resources but the internet. And as wonderful as these people are, why is it that people on street drugs get all the help? "

[8/8/2006 11:46:20 AM] [pattaylor] "Ross, people do need to know about the many pathways to recovery when they're seeking help and have the opportunity to develop a recovery plan that will work for them, if one pathway doesn't work, then we need to make sure that they are able to find another that does."

[8/8/2006 11:47:26 AM] [pattaylor] "Kimmie, that's one of the reasons that we're organizing across the country, there are many recovery community organizations and allied organizations and individuals who care about these issues. Until we organize and speak out we will not be able to get the political attention that we need to change policies that restrict treatment and recovery opportunities."

[8/8/2006 11:47:38 AM] [MODERATOR] "Think it's safe to say most of the people here have similar feelings about the way addiction is viewed, whether here or overseas. It's something that seems to be hard to overcome, even with the field. Is there any attempt in the recovery movement to educate those doing the treatment?"

[8/8/2006 11:47:58 AM] [Ross] "I agree Pat. I believe all options should be open to the individual and each treatment plan and recovery path should be discuss to find the most successful. If one fails then an alternative plan can be tried."

[8/8/2006 11:50:31 AM] [Kimmie] "I agree, Pat, but I wonder how long all of this will take. Some of these benzo sufferers have been to hell and back and even off of benzos, they spend years recovering. I hope someone comes up with an answer soon. If there were a movement started here, today, I would be the first one in line."

[8/8/2006 11:50:50 AM] [pattaylor] "What we're doing at Faces & Voices is talking about recovery -- long-term recovery from addiction. One thing that Faces & Voices of Recovery has been doing is developing new messaging about recovery so that the public understands what recovery is all about. I'm bringing that up here because treatment providers and others need to think about treatment in the larger context of recovery-- there are millions of Americans in long-term recovery who are now speaking out so that others can get the help that they need. Treatment providers "

[8/8/2006 11:50:54 AM] [Ross] "Kimmie I spoke to you in the last chat with Darla. In the UK the standard treatment for benzo withdrawal is to transfer to an equivalent dose of a long acting benzodiazepine usually chlordiazepoxide or diazepam and to gradually reduce by approximately 10% of the daily dose every 2 - 4 weeks. It can take many months and sometimes a year or more if a person is on very high doses of benzodiazepines to completely come off. Treatment for benzodiazepine addiction varies and opinion varies as with all drugs of addiction. Benzo's are notorious for causes a very intense withdrawal syndrome."

[8/8/2006 11:51:08 AM] [Samantha-Hope] "Pat, great to see you too! Our movement is truly one the greatest hopes today for folks struggling with addiction related illness, this being said the word "Recovery" is often being attached to "behavioral health" or "Mental Health" and while the language obviously is not as important as a persons personal recovery process, I do believe it is bringing undue challenges for those facing alcohol/other drug addictions. Too often Mental Health providers lack the training, or connection to the Recovery movement (addicts/alcoholics) and their funding of programs and policy reflect this. How can we work to see that our voice is heard first and foremost on issues related to alcohol/other drug addictions? This is obviously a vital need, if all the mental health, and other services an addict may/may not need are available but effective drug/alcohol treatment recovery support is swept under the rug we are back to ground zero it seems. So when we say "Recovery" how can we see that the community, policy makers, and others interested in advancing Addiction Recovery know that is what we are speaking of?"

[8/8/2006 11:52:54 AM] [pattaylor] "Dale, The discriminatory policies that I'm talking about keep people from getting coverage for treatment and recovery support services. A whole other area that's descirbed in the Know Your Rights booklet by the Legal Action Center has to do with legal protections for people with active addiction under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I can see the day when there may be expanded coverage for people with active addiction under the ADA, but for the time being, would like to see stronger enforcement of existing laws. There's more information about Know Your Rights at www.lac.org"

[8/8/2006 11:52:58 AM] [Kimmie] "I remember, Ross. I just don't know why doctors are so hard pressed not to believe you when it comes to benzo addiction. Why it is like pulling teeth to get valium to do a gentle crossover."

[8/8/2006 11:55:06 AM] [Ross] "I think doctors are generally ignorant of addiction issues in general as is most of the general public. There are many myths and misinformation about addiction. There is the added problem of the doctor not wanting to accept that the problem is caused by him or her which makes the problem for the prescription iatrogenic addict that much harder."

[8/8/2006 11:55:21 AM] [pattaylor] "Sam, We're just in the middle of doing some really exciting media trainings that jeannie partiicpated in in Louisville and Los Angeles about talking with the public about recovery, there's more information on our web site, but one of the important parts of the messaging is to let the public know that you are in long-term recovery from whatever drug you were addicted to for how many number of years. this is a way to let the public and policymakers know that people can and do recover, but also is very explicit in talking about a particular drug, to eliminate any confusion about what an individual is in recovery from. There's more information on our web site at www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org. What our media trainings are all about is speaking out about our recovery stories, not our addiction stories"

[8/8/2006 11:57:02 AM] [jeannie] "And I think one of the most important messages of the media training is the message we are now giving offers no confusion to what recovery is about or what it means."

[8/8/2006 11:57:17 AM] [Dale] "Thanks, that's a helpful source. Everyone seems to agree there needs to be more political action but politicians seek voters and media coverage the way drug companies seek profits. There needs to be an agenda that illustrates for politicians that forward looking treatment policies have a political upside. Now they seem to think it has only political downside and thus the emphasis on the criminal justice solution. What do we do to turn that around and win political support? "

[8/8/2006 11:57:34 AM] [Kimmie] "That's a great concept Pat, but also sad, because not everyone can recover."

[8/8/2006 11:59:32 AM] [pattaylor] "Last fall the Institute of Medicine issued a report regarding mental health and substance use disorders and recommendations for integrating them into the general health care system. Treatment providers, recovery community organizations, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence affiliates, public treatment providers and many other organizations came together and developed a White Paper that includes recommendations on ways that effective treatment and recovery support services should be made more available to the millions of Americans who need htem as well as ending discriminatory policies that are barriers to people sustaining their recovery. There's more information about the White Paper on our web site at www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org"

[8/8/2006 11:59:35 AM] [Samantha-Hope] "Kimmie, not all people recover from cancer, but advocates must continue to push for all possible doors for a recovery process for types of cancer, that is the hope and that is where I believe the Recovery movement is going today-"

[8/8/2006 12:00:29 PM] [Ross] "Pat taylor There has been an increasing shift in my opinion from addiction being seen as a psychiatric illness rather than a medical illness. Is there an overuse of psychotropic drugs to treat addiction? Should the aim be wherever possible to get the recovery addict off all psychotropic drugs? I see a movement of prescribing for example ritalin or amphetamine to recovering meth addicts and benzodiazepines to recovering alcoholics for example.Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

[8/8/2006 12:02:12 PM] [Kimmie] "I agree, Samantha. I am an advocate against all mind altering drugs, although I would suppose in extreme cases they are useful. You are right , not all people recover. But we still press on, don't we??"

[8/8/2006 12:02:25 PM] [Ross] "I believe that the message of recovery should be spread but I worry that sometimes the wrong recovery message is being spread"

[8/8/2006 12:02:26 PM] [pattaylor] "Sam, one of the things that we need to think about is developing and exercising the power of the growing recovery community. Faces & Voices is launching its Civic Engagement campaign this week and we'll be having information on registering voters and getting folks out to vote as well as buttons that say "We Recover and We Vote" and "Another Voter for Recovery." That's part of getting out and having a presence, so that people understand why recovery is so important and critical if we're going to have a healthy society "

[8/8/2006 12:04:07 PM] [pattaylor] "Ross, well that's interesting and an improvement over it being a moral weakness I'd say, but seriously, we've just barely touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of making recovery possible for the over 23 million Americans who still need help. Let's load up the arsenal with possible pathways so that people and their families can get the help that they need. On our web site we have a list of mutual support resources, there are still restirctions on the numbers of patients that doctors can see who are using buprenorphine, so we have a long way to go in terms of making sure that people can get the help that they need."

[8/8/2006 12:04:20 PM] [Entrance] [MODERATOR] "Pat, just curious: Are any of FAVOR's recovery efforts targeted at those in the criminal justice system?"

[8/8/2006 12:05:18 PM] [Kimmie] "Wonderful idea, Pat...there just seems to be so much that has to be done. I am a widow with 5 young boys and I am trying to w/d from benzos. What could I possibly do to help this movement, when I am barely able to de-tox myself?"

[8/8/2006 12:06:03 PM] [pattaylor] "Moderator, thanks for asking. At our media training in Los Angeles last week I was talking with John deMiranda who was telling me that inmates at San Quentin whom he's working with are interested in setting up a Faces & Voices of Recovery chapter there. There are many recovery community organizations around the country, PRO-A in Pennsylvania, Association of Persons Affected by Addiction in Dallas, and others who are doing peer mentoring in jails and prisons around the country. People in recovery and their family members are welcoming newly-released inmates and working in drug courts as well"

[8/8/2006 12:07:42 PM] [Ross] "Pat I actually favour the likes of buprenorphine or methadone being prescribed as long as it safely dispensed and that it is a part of a recovery program where the dose is gradually decreased over months or a year or which ever. The problem I have is I worry that the pharmaceutical industry in particular are seizing on the addiction recovery movement and trying to cash in on peoples suffering by promoting continual narcosis for want of a better word."

[8/8/2006 12:09:06 PM] [pattaylor] "Ross, I guess that where I'm at on this is that for some people maintaining the use of medication over time makes sense, whereas for others it doesn't and that it's really up to informed individuals and their physicians if they're taking medications to find out what makes the most sense for them"

[8/8/2006 12:09:21 PM] [Samantha-Hope] "Pat, I totally agree that our folks need to be educated, empowered, and lead in directions to do more than "lip service" it has been unreal to see the consequence of our silence, millions upon millions dead, in jail, hopeless- and that is indeed the tip of the iceburg if any other condition cost American's 500 Billion a year, we would see a natural response by law makers to do something substantial to address the issue. I personally believe that the addictive industries (those profiting off of our broken system) are controlling everything from available effective treatment and recovery to discriminatory policies meant to keep us quiet--that is my heart felt belief based on very real experiences with those in "power" --I applaud educating folks..and the direction we are moving in today, I pray it will find haste for the millions in need- we have the data, research, and process- now is indeed the time to act-speak-vote etc. "

[8/8/2006 12:09:24 PM] [Alexandre] "Pat, with respect to making recovery possible for the over 23 million Americans who still need help, you know this is my mission as well, one of the things that we see over and over in research on people in rdcovery is that denial os problem is the #1 obstacle to starting recovery, what can we do as a community not only to inform the public that recovery is a reality but to try to reach active users so that they begin to consider recovery for themselves?"

[8/8/2006 12:09:26 PM] [MODERATOR] "Ross, also, Carrick Forbes, who writes the blog Living It on the Silent Treatment website, credit methadone with saving her life as she comes off heroin, so I guess it's a double-edge sword using drugs as treatment."

[8/8/2006 12:10:54 PM] [Ross] "I think gradual reduction programs like diazepam or chlordiazepoxide or buprenorphine or methadone should be a first line of therapy in a persons recovery program along with counselling and group support and detox should be of last resort. I think the recovery movement should be cautious of the potential for pharmaceutical companies to cash in and potentially harm a recovering persons chances of recovering! What do you think?"

[8/8/2006 12:11:29 PM] [Kimmie] "Very well said, Samantha. I think that's it, in a nutshell."

[8/8/2006 12:12:22 PM] [pattaylor] "Alexandre and Sam, that's why the growing organized recovery community is so important -- from events like September's Recovery Month observances (www.recoverymonth.gov) to our Rally for Recovery! that will be held in over 35 cities around this country on September 16th to advocacy for expanded access to treatment and recovery support services to advocacy to raise alcohol excise taxes to pay for more treatment opportunities in PA, all of these efforts are part of destigmatizing addiction (changing attitudes) and leading to changes in policy that will make it possible for people to want and expect to get the help that they need."

[8/8/2006 12:13:08 PM] [Entrance] [Ross] "yes moderator I am in full support of long acting drugs used as a tool to wean a person off their drug their body is physically dependent on. That is different from being put on psychotropic drugs for life and having addiction being treated as a mental illness needing potentially addictive psychotropic drugs life long."

[8/8/2006 12:15:16 PM] [Entrance] [Susan Hetz] "Glad to see this online chat happening. Don't need to go online with questions --just want to observe for now. thanks for advocation and celebrating recovery!!"

[8/8/2006 12:15:31 PM] [Entrance] [penny] "As I read the questions and comments the one central point that I continue to consider is recovery is possible; we have a life long progressive disease that we as individuals have to take responsiblity to do whatever we must do to remain physically and emotionally sober; it can be done and it is so important that the society begins to understand that addiction is a treatable disease just like diabetes, the person diagnosed as diabetic has to be responsible to make the daily choices which will maintain there health. Recovering people don't have to remain in the closet so to speak. If a person chooses to reveal their recovery story I believe that is wonderful and will help break down the stigma of being an addict. This is how I view the mission of Faces & Voices of Recovery "

[8/8/2006 12:15:57 PM] [MODERATOR] "Pat, what's the reaction been to raising taxes through sale of alcohol?"

[8/8/2006 12:16:07 PM] [MODERATOR => All] "Hi, Susan and Penny. thanks for join us."

[8/8/2006 12:16:43 PM] [Entrance] [barbara] "Hi Pat, Barbara Brown from the Art of Recovery Expo in Phoenix, I want to thank you for this very important and much needed chat! This is great."

[8/8/2006 12:17:08 PM] [Ross] "Penny recovery is definately possible. There is always hope for those seeking recovery! We just need to spread the message of recovery and raise awareness of just what addiction can do to people. Spreading the message and gaining recovery for ones self is the most important thing we can do and I am glad to see Pat is trying to spread the message! :)"

[8/8/2006 12:17:22 PM] [pattaylor] "Hi All, one thing that I wanted to make sure to talk about during this chat is that in many communities around the country advocates have worked to establish Recovery Community Centers, some as part of the federal government's Recovery Community Service's Program, some with state funding, these centers are places where people can come together to provide recovery supports in finding jobs, housing, sober entertainment and a supportive community. The growth of these organizations and the services that they are providing, which have been determined by the recovery community, is phenomenal and exciting! "

[8/8/2006 12:18:00 PM] [pattaylor] "Barbara, Great to hear from you. Barbara's having a Recovery Expo in Phoenix on Sept 16th as part of Rally for Recovery!"

[8/8/2006 12:18:45 PM] [Samantha-Hope] "Pat, I am hopeful that we will see a more authentic grass roots emerge, people don't get the jargon--they don't understand why the system throws billions out each year for treatment/recovery services and yet our rate of incarceration increases annually, they don't get why addictive products are sold with zero accountability for the social and medical costs they burden our country with each day, and honestly "telling our story" may be helpful, but this is a national crisis, Addiction is our nation's number one public health problem, and has been--I believe most of the organizing has been done with funds that are connected to the very government system that is broken--it is as though we are spinning our wheels without an independent strong national voice that takes no more back seating on the healthcare bus...know what I am saying?"

[8/8/2006 12:19:46 PM] [Ross] "Well said Samantha"

[8/8/2006 12:20:11 PM] [Ross] "even though I am in the UK but the problem of addiction here seems the same as the USA."

[8/8/2006 12:20:43 PM] [jeannie] "I for one am very excited about this recovery movement. I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I heard Bill White state that what we do in the next 10 years will dictate how this country treats addiction for the next 100 years. I think this is our time and we have to act now."

[8/8/2006 12:21:21 PM] [jeannie] "Amd Faces and Voices is our vehicle"

[8/8/2006 12:21:39 PM] [MODERATOR] "Pat is having a "frozen computer" moment, so bear with us, everyone"

[8/8/2006 12:22:09 PM]  [Kimmie] "I just had one, too:-("

[8/8/2006 12:22:31 PM]  [Alexandre] "Time to recover everyone!!!:-]"

[8/8/2006 12:23:06 PM] [Dale] "I think Samantha-Hope is right and it's amazing our political leaders can turn their back on our nation's number one health problem. But they do. And they get reelected. Something wrong with that equation. "

[8/8/2006 12:23:48 PM] [barbara] "The media needs to pay more attention to the recovery and treatment aspect of addiction, but then again its unfortuante the stories like Gibson's dui is what sells newspapers"

[8/8/2006 12:24:12 PM] [Entrance] [Alexandre] "they get re-elected because recovery (wellness) is not a priority for the public; if voters demanded this be addressed it would be"

[8/8/2006 12:24:15 PM] [Samantha-Hope] "Jeannie-I believe history should guide us today, we can learn a great deal from what happened, and what is possible- I think individuals, groups, states can send a central message supporting recovery much like other movements- Civil Rights for example required many people from all over this country carrying forward the agenda to deliver rights to those denied such rights-"

[8/8/2006 12:24:25 PM] [pattaylor] "Hi, I'm back, don't know what happened as this is the first time that I've ever done this. The authentic grassroots movement is coming together all across the country and at Faces & Voices we have put together a Right to Addiction Recovery platform that lays out the agenda that we are working with local recovery advocates around the country to make happen. We must make our political leaders stake notice"

[8/8/2006 12:24:30 PM] [jeannie] "It is because we--the recovery community -- is allowing this by staying silent. If we do not speak out, they think everything is okey dokey."

[8/8/2006 12:24:45 PM] [Kimmie] "You find me a good, honest politician to vote for and I am right there. You can't get anyone to care about anything in Washington without having a lobbyist. We don't have one and if we do, then he/she isn't doing a very good job."

[8/8/2006 12:25:04 PM] [MODERATOR] "Well, we hope the "Silent Treatment" series will advance the cause of treatment and recovery a bit."

[8/8/2006 12:25:19 PM] [Ross] "We need to get our stories of recovery and hope and what addiction is really like into the news, papers, internet and magazine and spread the message and dispell some of the myths."

[8/8/2006 12:25:39 PM] [Kimmie] "My prayers are with your movement, Moderator"

[8/8/2006 12:25:58 PM] [jeannie] "Stay happy and stay clean"

[8/8/2006 12:25:59 PM] [Dale] "Yes, but the message is silent no longer and if 23 million people vote as a bloc that wins elections...in a landslide"

[8/8/2006 12:26:07 PM] [penny] "It would help if more well known individuals who are in recovery stepped forward- that seems to be happening slowly with other medical issues that have been stigmatized over the years such as depression/anxiety "

[8/8/2006 12:26:12 PM] [Ross] "pat come back!"

[8/8/2006 12:26:17 PM] [pattaylor] "We need to continue to organize and speak out about critical issues, as Susan Rook once said, By Our Silence We Let Others Define Us, but it's even more than that, it's coming together strategically to raise issue and achieve success"

[8/8/2006 12:26:31 PM] [barbara] "I publish Arizona Together Newspaper each month and am running articles from Silent Treatment, everyone is welcome to write for us, we have 50,000 readers a month. "

[8/8/2006 12:27:02 PM] [pattaylor] "There are more and more people coming forward and there's been a sea change across the country. On our web site there are over 130 recovery community organizations around the country where people are coming together and speaking out and tackling critical local, state and national issues. "

[8/8/2006 12:27:25 PM] [MODERATOR] "Good to hear, Barbara. We'll add you to our list of publications"

[8/8/2006 12:27:55 PM] [barbara] "send your articles to aztogether@yahoo.com I want to get LOUD!"

[8/8/2006 12:28:38 PM] [MODERATOR] "Any more questions for Pat? We're getting close to the end ..."

[8/8/2006 12:28:42 PM] [Ross] "we have similar problems here in UK Kimmie. The person in charge of reviewing the drug classification system is known to have vested interests in what drugs should be ranked high or low. He was selected by the government. We need panels independent from government, independent from alcohol or tobacco industry and independent from pharmaceutical industries. The panel should be made up with people who have personal or professional experience of addiction and recovery!"

[8/8/2006 12:28:56 PM] [barbara] "Thank you "

[8/8/2006 12:29:14 PM] [Kimmie] "Right you are, Ross"

[8/8/2006 12:29:33 PM] [Samantha-Hope] "Empowering folks, is key-- Pat thank you for the good work ya'll are doing, thanks to all in the chat ;)"

[8/8/2006 12:29:34 PM] [Kimmie => All] "Thanks for the lively chat"

[8/8/2006 12:29:38 PM] [pattaylor] "Thank you so much, it's been great and let's get the word out to the public and beyond our community!"

[8/8/2006 12:29:49 PM] [Ross] "Excellent quote Pat "Our Silence We Let Others Define Us".

[8/8/2006 12:29:50 PM] [penny] "sounds fabulous, ross great idea!:-)"

[8/8/2006 12:30:05 PM] [Alexandre] "Good job Pat!:O"

[8/8/2006 12:30:56 PM] [Ross] "thanks all bye"

[8/8/2006 12:30:06 PM] [MODERATOR] "We’re just about out of time. Thanks so much for joining us. This chat will be archived if others would like to check it out later. Thanks again, and come back tomorrow for William Moyers, who will talk more about recovery, same time, same url."