'There's so many people suffering': Windsor Recovery Day aims to end addiction stigma
Event features guest speakers Saturday afternoon at Lanspeary Park.
People in Windsor will gather today at an event aimed at ending the stigma surrounding drug and alcohol addiction as part of National Recovery Day.
"People see the addict or the alcoholic, they put that negative stigma there," said Brandon Bailey, a chairperson with Recovery Windsor.
"They see them as the junkie or the person with the brown paper bag."
Bailey said that attitude doesn't help people enter into recovery.
"You can go from being that hopeless, helpless person," said Bailey. "And become a productive member of society."
The event will take place from 1-4 p.m. at Lanspeary Park and feature a number of quest speakers as well as activities for families, designed to create discussion around addiction.
He said that the people at the event are going through recovery from addiction - including himself.
"I got to a point where I was using all day, every day. And that was all that mattered to me," said Bailey.
He said he became addicted to smoking crack after his mother passed away.
"I didn't have the coping skills to be able to get through that issue," said Bailey, who remembers hitting a point where he didn't care about doing drugs in public.
"I just felt there was no where to turn."
He said there was a moment where he looked into a mirror and wanted to kill himself.
"So many people today feel that they don't have a way to work through these problems, they just live with these problems and let them build," said Bailey.
He entered the Recovery home in Windsor in 2005 and was able to quit - but within a year stared doing cocaine. He will be three years sober in December.
Saturday's event is aimed at connecting people with programs to help them battle addiction in Windsor.
"We want to aim it towards getting everyone out there," said Bailey. "We all know someone who suffers from this disease - whether that person has admitted to it or not."
This will be the fourth year of Recovery Day in Windsor.