MELANIE DALLAS: You’ve likely met someone living in recovery, even if you didn’t know it

Have you ever met someone who is living in recovery? Chances are you have. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are more than 50 million Americans with mental health and/or substance use disorders that consider themselves to be living in recovery.

In our state, the Georgia Council on Recovery reports there are nearly 1 million individuals living in recovery with substance use disorder. Although that number does not include those living in recovery with mental illness, or account for individuals who might live with both, I think we could safely say that more than one in 10 Georgians lives in recovery.

So you have very likely met someone living in recovery, although you may not have known it, or even suspected it, unless they told you.