Alcohol is part of the culture of Warren County.

For those who are able to consume responsibly, that’s not a big deal.

But, for those who are not, it can be a very serious problem.

The recovery specialists at Family Services of Warren County know how hard it can be to admit to an alcohol problem and get help. They want others to know that that help is available.

“Alcohol is part of culture in a lot of places,” Recovery Support Specialist Sean Quigley said. “It’s given this glory.”

“By and large, a lot of people can consume responsibly,” Quigley said. “However, there are people that can’t.”

He knows what it’s like to think, “What am I going to do? How am I going to have fun” without alcohol?

“When I discovered I had a problem with alcohol, alcohol was the solution to my problems,” he said.

“For years, I knew I had a problem with alcohol,” he said. “But it was really hard for me to admit that to myself and others.”

April is Alcohol Awareness Month.

“This is how we shine a light on people who might believe they have a problem,” Certified Recovery Specialist Noah Sharp said. “This is what helps them possibly see things coming to light that are problematic in their life.”

“It’s Ok to be aware that you have a problem with alcohol and there’s help,” Quigley said.

“The first step is finding out if you have a problem,” Sharp said. “Choice is really the key part of this. Once alcohol stops being a choice, that’s when there is a problem. Once you stop making the choice to have a drink, and have a drink because it’s what you do, that’s what we want to bring awareness to.”

HELP IS AVAILABLE

After that, there are several ways, at several levels, to get help.

“There are anonymous programs, there are mental health facilities,” Sharp said. “There is direct therapy with a trained counselor. There are rehabilitation centers.”

“Family Services is where we are,” he said. “We have a recovery support service which connects you directly to another person who has a substance abuse issue.”

Sharp and Quigley are not therapists. They are peer support. They have lived through what others with alcohol problems are experiencing.

“This is what we do day in and day out,” Quigley said. “Both of us have a passion for helping people know that they can get their life back.”

How am I going to have fun?

Helping people get into recovery is a starting point.

But, for people who have been reliant on alcohol and places that serve it for social events, staying with recovery can be problematic.

The recovery specialists would like there to be social places in the community that are substance-free.

“When all of your friends are out at the bar, playing pool… and you can’t go there because you’re afraid of the temptation of drinking… our overall goal is to have a place that is safe for people who are either already in recovery or considering entering recovery that is substance free,” Sharp said. “This will give you a place to go and have a social life outside of those drinking establishments.”

Ideally, the location would not be a bar that offers alcohol-free nights or some similar arrangement.

“We’re looking for an independent facility,” he said. “We don’t want to have anything associated with alcohol, just for the triggering effects that that can cause.”

For now, Family Services is working with the Crossing. “We’re using the Crossing as a place that we gather, but it’s hours are limited,” Sharp said.

The recovery specialists want people to know that they can “actually have fun without the encumbrance of alcohol… whatever detour that they’ve taken,” Quigley said.

And, they can wake up without the consequences of that encumbrance. “It’s a really good feeling, going home at the end of the night, going to bed, waking up, or being woken up in the middle of the night, and being able to go,” he siad. “It’s gives us choice.”

MAKING THE CALL

Family Services of Warren County can be reached by calling (814) 723-1330.

“They can ask to speak with either of us or ask for help in general,” Sharp said.

“There are people out there to help,” Quigley said.

“You have a choice. It’s Ok,” Sharp said. “We’re here to meet you where you’re at.”