A effort is underway in Bartholomew County to start repairing the bridges between people dealing with drug dependency and their families.
The Gathering Families support group will host an open house at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Columbus Salvation Army, 2525 Illinois Ave.
Existing services available to help drug users and their families get through their hardships will be outlined, Salvation Army social services coordinator Nancy Johnson said.
Organizers hope to attract a wide range of residents to the open house, including people struggling with addiction, family members wishing to intervene and others concerned about the impact of the opioid crisis, Johnson said.
As a support group, Gathering Families has been working to help local residents better understand the complexities of addiction, Johnson said.
For example, she agrees with Columbus addiction specialist Dr. Theodora Saddoris, who said many people don’t understand the extent of the impulsive side of addiction.
Family members often can’t comprehend that heroin damages the part of the brain necessary for free will and making rational choices, Saddoris explained during a public forum last fall.
If a family member doesn’t accept that reality, non-supportive emotions such as shame and anger can undermine an individual’s best hopes of recovery, Johnson said.
After expressing his support for the group, Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers said that while addiction might prompt a person to push away others wanting to help them, “these people still need their families now more than ever.”
Since Gathering Families organizers include people in recovery and trained professionals, the group is a unique and important asset in the community’s response to the opioid crisis, Myers said.
In addition to sponsoring support groups, Gathering Families has also been assisting former jail inmates with clothing, training and referrals for assistance, volunteer coordinator Vicki Axsom said.
To the extent that resources allow, the group is capable of providing outreach services ranging from securing basic needs to rehabilitation referrals and assistance at court hearings, Johnson said.
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Gathering Families, a support group assisting people dealing with drug dependency and their families, will host an open house next week.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Columbus Salvation Army, 2525 Illinois Ave.
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