Hispanic Heritage Month!! Implications for Substance Use Disorders Treatment and Recovery

National Hispanic Heritage Month recently ended. It is a celebration of American citizens whose ancestors came from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. This is the only celebration that begins and ends in the middle of two months! The celebration begins September 15th as numerous Latin American Countries achieved independence on that date.

Hispanics have experienced a great deal of historical trauma both in the United States, the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America. There is a link between historical trauma and substance use disorders. We have learned from the Native American Wellbriety movement that cultural celebrations which increase cultural pride can be a substance use disorders protective factor and help increase recovery rates.

Hispanics are the fastest growing community in the United States. It is predicted that by the year 2050 they will be the largest cultural group in the country. As demographic shifts continue to occur, history reveals that we can expect an increase in racial tension leading to greater trauma and the potential for increased substance use.

Organizations such as Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence and the National Hispanic & Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, are playing a major role in increasing culturally responsive and evidence based approaches for working with Hispanics with substance use disorders. We are also seeing an increase of Latino/Hispanic substance use disorders specialists in key leadership positions in the substance use disorders profession. This will help tremendously as well.

In the future there will need to be an increase in the number of bilingual/bicultural professionals who are able to serve Hispanic communities. Special emphasis will need to be placed upon substance use disorders prevention, treatment and recovery for recent migrants who have fled Central and South America escaping trauma.

Personally, I feel a special kinship with Latino/Hispanic Communities. When the Africans were brought to the ‘New World’ to be enslaved, millions were first brought to the Caribbean Island, Central and South America. They are our brethren! I also attended a high school in which 70% of my classmates were Latino/Hispanic and was able to witness the richness of the culture up close.

I hope you have enjoyed Hispanic Heritage Month.

Celebrating Dual Recovery in African American Communities

September is National Recovery month. In honor, there will be marches, parades and other celebrations of substance use disorders recovery. African Americans have caught the spark of recovery month and have joined the rest of the country in celebrating this sacred month. While research indicates that substance use disorders and mental illness overlap at the rate of 50-70%, little attention is paid to mental health recovery.

This post is meant to encourage African American communities to also celebrate mental health recovery. Because of historical trauma, as a community we have our fair share of PTSD, complex trauma, depression, anxiety disorder, and ADD. According to Dr. Joy Degruy, we also suffer from a condition she calls Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome as a result of 400 years of historical trauma,

So let us march and celebrate mental health recovery in African American Communities! This visibility could help reduce the stigma of mental illness in African American communities. Once mobilized we could also form African American mental health advocacy movements. This movement could fight for treatment as an alternative to incarceration, Medicaid expansion, an increase in mental health services in African American communities, and the need for more African American mental health professionals.