It’s no secret that substance abuse and addictive behavior come in many forms and has had a deleterious effect on many individuals and families since well before the days when opium was first known to be extracted by the Sumerians in 3400 B.C. These Mesopotamian people called the poppy plant Hul Gil, which translated to “joy plant.” Over millennia, and into the modern age, the opium trade – and the web of other addictive substances it spawned – have flourished. In 19th century China, the humble but powerful plant led to the Opium Wars and great social unrest.
Then as in now, whether one’s addictions are to non-prescription drugs, alcohol, food, nicotine, or pain killers, the abuse of these substances tends to impact everyone who is in the sphere or shadow of the addicted. But, thankfully, today we have more supportive resources than those bedraggled Sumerians did “Before the Common Era (BCE).”
In very recent history, the year 2023 was a peak year for substance abuse and overdose deaths in America, largely due to the sharp escalation in synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This spike might also have been a result of the previous pandemic years, where vulnerability and a sense of direction-lessness permeated global society; especially among those who didn’t feel supported in their forced solitude.
But in recent years, at least relevant to alcohol usage, there has been better news. A recent New York Times article, quoting a Gallup survey and a long-running University of Michigan study, show fewer Americans are drinking. Quoting the article, Alexis Ritvo, a psychiatrist from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says “you can define a disorder as continued use, despite consequences.” Scientists no longer look at substance abuse as binary, but rather as a spectrum, much like ADHD, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. What must be recognized though, through self-awareness and intervention, is when people teeter on the more extreme end of the spectrum, when a habit becomes an addiction over time, and ultimately interferes with relationships and day-to-day activities like work, wellness and being a productive member of society.
The decline in alcohol consumption in the 21st century can be attributed to young people choosing to drink less as Americans have become more aware of the health risks of heavy consumption, and a recent proliferation of non-alcoholic options offered at restaurants, bars and social events.
You Are Not Alone (YANA)
I was introduced to YANA Newport Country two years ago through a grant I helped the non-profit organization secure. YANA is an acronym for “You Are Not Alone.” The membership-based organization is a private supportive community that provides a discreet clubhouse meeting environment for AA-related groups, based in Middletown. The idea of bringing this clubhouse to Aquidneck Island came about during the pandemic shutdowns more than five years ago. Church basements were no longer an option for supportive AA communities to meet, and everyone moved their meetings online. This virtual model proved to be unsatisfactory to many people who rely on frequent in-person contact to help them through their 12-step process day-by-day.
Five years ago, Portsmouth resident Ted Cordin, along with several other local mentors and believers in the 12-step healing and recovery process, had an epiphany. An intrepid traveler and winter resident of Hilton Head, SC, he missed the camaraderie of his southern AA community when he was back in Rhode Island. He shared with WUN readers (with permission), “As I traveled around the country, I had the opportunity to visit many sober clubhouses, and while spending winters in Hilton Head, I became a regular attendee at the YANA Club there. As we were driving back to Rhode Island (during the pandemic), I asked my wife, ‘What do you think about us starting a YANA Clubhouse on Aquidneck Island?’ The answer we came up with was ‘Why not?’” Cordin added, “That was the beginning. We found a few others that shared our same vision to support others in recovery, and we started out on this new adventure.”
Today, YANA Newport County hosts nearly 20 meetings each week in their comfortable clubhouse on Aquidneck Avenue. Meeting goers include those who are part of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Overeaters Anonymous, and the Middletown clubhouse hosts the only Alateen meeting in Rhode Island.
An active YANA member told me she and her husband recently traveled to support a family member in need, offering to take care of a developmentally disabled nephew while their primary caregiver needed intensive surgery. She said “I could not have done this trip without the support of YANA, and becoming sober. It took everything I had to help my nephew, but I was able to be present and support my loved ones in their time of need, and that was something I really found tremendously rewarding.”
While YANA Newport’s founders are clear to say the AA philosophy is central to their mission, they welcome others who need support but don’t espouse the AA framework, which leans into spiritual growth and personal abstinence to heal and help others. The organization is member-driven simply to help support each other with community events, and to help underwrite the organization’s operational costs, yet all are welcome to participate in meetings and events regardless of their member status.
Building Community
In the last year, YANA Newport County has reached out to other recovery- and health/wellness-related organizations to build more awareness and reciprocal partnerships. While not a clinically-based provider, they are now connected to many of the leading behavioral health clinics in the state, such as The Galilee Mission, The Women’s Resource Center, Newport Mental Health, and the Herren Project, to name a few. In this way, YANA can further support the complex and highly personal considerations of individuals and families dealing with addiction and recovery. As a vibrant and fun-loving community, they have also forged partnerships with other local organizations that foster well-being and recreational missions, like the Norman Bird Sanctuary, local yoga practitioners and nutritionists, and local fitness organizations. YANA is planning some fun, community-centered events this fall and winter, and each year they step up their support of others who are facing addiction and temptation alone, especially during the high-spirited holiday season.
Cordin said, “We’ve come a long way from August 2021 when Covid was still happening, to where we are today. It was a tall order to get something like YANA started. I’d like to recognize the support of the other founders: John, Ken, and Mike. This month, we celebrate five years and we continue moving forward.”
YANA Newport County is hosting their 5th Anniversary Celebration at their Clubhouse at 770 Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown on September 25th from 5pm – 8pm. A free potluck dinner and desert will be offered and speakers from regional 12-Step fellowships are invited to speak. Locals who are interested in learning more about YANA and its sober member community are welcome to attend.
National Recovery Month is an annual observance held every September to increase public awareness of mental health and substance abuse disorder recovery. The observance was established in 1989 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminstration (SAMHSA).
Cordin concluded, “Most important to me is the mantra, ‘I must pay it forward. I must give it away in order to keep it.’”
Michele Gallagher is an advocate of local businesses, community leaders, and non-profits and is the founder of City-by-the-Sea Communications.
