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Bamber-White Dialogue II: Inside the Recovery Revolution StephenBamberandWilliamL.White 5thOctober2011 Introduction StephenBamber The UK drug and alcohol treatment field has gone through a dramatic Recovery Revolutionoverthepastcoupleofyears–perhapsasextensiveandenduringasthe onethatdisruptedthementalhealthfieldinpreviousdecades.Recovery-orientated thinking has penetrated the spheres of policy, practice and research and we have observedtheinceptionandgrowthofavibrant,colourfulandheterogeneousarray ofgrass-rootsactivitythroughouttheUK. Althoughrecoverydiscourseisstillemergingfromitsembryonicphaseandthe boundarieshaveyettobefullynegotiated,acknowledgedandacceptedbyallstake- holdersIhavebeendelighted(andprivileged)towitnesspractitionersandService Usersalikefindingrenewedenthusiasmfortheirworkastheyundertakethesome- timesdifficulttransitiontorecoverymanagementmodalities. Recovery is being celebrated in all of its Technicolor manifestations. Signific- antly,servicesandclientsarebeginningtoworktogethertoauthenticallyco-produce anewgenerationofrecoverees.Ourcollectiveunderstandingofrecoverywillinflate astheseindividualsadvancealongtheirpersonaljourneysincomingyears. They willbesupportedbyauthenticculturesofrecoveryandrecoverycommunitiesthat arebeginningtoprosperoutsideoftraditionaltreatmentsettings(inspacesprevi- ouslyoccupiedsolelybyestablishedmutualaidgroupsandasmatteringofpioneer- ingpeer-supportinitiatives). Catalysedbytheenergyandenthusiasmofourhomegrownrecoverychampi- ons,networksofindividualsarecomingtogetherandreformingalandscapewhose topologywaspreviouslydeterminedbyastaidandinelasticensembleofstatutory organisations,professionals,institutionsandvoluntarybodies.Recoveryknowledge wasdetermined,dispersedandguardedbythispowerfulbutarguablyinsufficient miscellanyofentities.Othersourcesofknowledgeexist–enfoldedinthenarratives ofthoseinrecoverythemselvesbutareonlyjustbeginningtoappearonthehorizon ofoursharedunderstanding. Revolutionsrequirescrutiny: weshouldnotblindlyacceptanynewsetofpro- positionswithouttestingtheminthehotbedofourcollectiverationality.Bill,given therecentrecoveryrevolutionintheUKitismyhopethatwecanusethisDialogue 1 to explore some infrequently examined dimensions of the emergence of recovery advocacy movements in more depth – ethics, leadership, transition, roles and re- sponsibilitiesandsoforth. WilliamWhite IhavefollowedwithgreatexcitementtheriseoftheUKrecoverymovementand lookforwardtoofferingwhatreflectionsIcanonthenatureofsuchmovements. I amhumbledeverydaybythecomplexquestionsarisingwithinthesenewgrassroots recoveryadvocacyorganizations. StephenBamber Youhavedepictedwhatisgoingonacrosscommunitiesofrecoveryworldwideasa recoveryrevolution. Isthisarhetoricaldeviceoristhereadeepermeaningbehind youruseofthisphrase? WilliamWhite I use the term revolution to convey that what is unfolding within communities ofrecoveryiswithouthistoricalprecedent. Thereisalongandrichhistoryofre- coverymutualaidsocieties,butonlyrecentlyhaveweseenmembersdrawnfrom these traditionally closed and competing societies standing side by side and see- ing themselves as a singular community—a people. Pathology (addiction focus) andintervention(treatmentfocus)paradigmshavelongdominatedthealcoholand drugproblemsarenas,butonlyrecentlyisrecoveryemergingasacentralorganizing paradigm. Thisshiftismorethanasuperficialplayofwordsandideas—aflavorof themonth.Ifsuccessful,itwilltransformeverythingittouches—includingnational policyandnearlyeveraspectofthedesignanddeliveryofaddictiontreatment. Historically, responses to addiction at a personal level have been divided into recoverymutualaidsocietiesontheonehandandprofessionaltreatmentonthe other. Inadditiontoexpandingandtransformingbothoftheseentities,therecov- eryrevolutionisspawningnewsocialinstitutionsthatdonotfitintoeitherthere- covery mutual aid or professional treatment categories. This shift is moving bey- ondsupportforpersonalrecoveryinitiationandmaintenancetofirstbuildaworld inwhichrecoverycanflourish—recoveryresidences,recoveryindustries,recovery schools,recoveryministries,recoverycommunitycenters,recoverysportsclubs,re- coverycafesandthelike—andthencreatingrichlocalculturesofrecoverythatare spawningnewrecovery-linkedideas, language, literature, art, music, serviceroles andrituals. Forthefirsttime,recoveringpeopleandtheirfamiliesarebreakingsilenceand steppingforwardinlargenumbersasanorganizedgrouptoputafaceandvoice onrecovery.Theyareawakeningculturallyandpoliticallythroughnewrecoveryad- vocacyorganizationsandpublicrecoverycelebrationevents. Whatisbeingcalled forisnotjustaddingrecoverysupportstoexistingtreatmentsystemsbutatrans- formationofaddictiontreatmentasweknowitandatransformationofthelarger 2 communitiesinwhichsuccessfulrecoverymustbeinevitablynested. Embracingrecoveryasanorganizingparadigm,nestingpersonalrecoverywithin thelargerrubricofcommunityrecoveryandthenewmethodsbeingproposedto achievethesegoalsdoconstitutearevolutionaryleapwithinthehistoryofaddic- tion treatment and recovery. For treatment systems, this requires a fundamental realignmentofvalues,relationshipsandservicepractices. StephenBamber RecoveryadvocacyisanewideahereintheUK.Oneofthethingsthatconcerns meiswhetherwehavesufficientlyvisible(andconceptual)separationbetweenthe variousgroupsyouindicate. Areyouabletobrieflyoutlinethefundamentalideo- logicalandmaterialdifferencesbetweenmutualaidgroups,treatmentservicesand advocacygroups? WilliamWhite Thecoreideasofthenewmovementarefocusednotonthenatureofaddiction,nor ontheneedforprofessionaltreatmentorthevalueofparticulartypesoftreatment. They instead focus on the reality of recovery, the varieties (pathways, styles and stages)ofrecoveryexperience,theroleofcommunityinlong-termrecoveryandthe fruitsofrecoveryforindividuals,familiesandcommunities. Thecorestrategiesin- cludeconsciousness-raisingandleadershipdevelopmentwithintherecoverycom- munity,supportfornewrecoverycommunityorganizations,recovery-focusedpub- licandprofessionaleducation,recovery-focusedpoliticaladvocacy,peer-basedre- coverysupportservicesandthesponsorshipofrecoverycelebrationevents. StephenBamber Thisfocusdoesdistinguishthesegroupsfromtraditionalrecoverysupportsociet- ies. WilliamWhite Yes, they are complimentary, yet have quite distinct roles. Recovery advocacy is aboutgivingvoicetothevoicelessandofferingrealfacesasanalternativetothede- monizedimagesthathavelongbeenassociatedwithalcoholandotherdrugprob- lems. It is about building a base of influence for people who have been historic- allymarginalized. Itisabouttakingthestrengthofrecoverycommunitiesthathas long existed for mutual support and extending that power into an instrument for recovery-enhancingsocialchange. But, importantly, itisdoingthisinawaythat isrespectfuloftheautonomyandtraditionsoftraditionalrecoverymutualaidfel- lowships. ThismovementdoesNOThaveanagendaofchangingAA,NA,SMART Recoveryorotherrecoverymutualaidsocietiesbyinvolvingtheminpoliticaland culturalmobilizationactivitiesaroundtherecoveryissue,butindividualmembers formthesesocietiesarechoosingtobepartofthismovement–asindividualsand notasrepresentativesofsuchgroups. 3 Ifyouthinkaboutindividualsinrecoveryasagroupofpeoplewithacommon history,adistinctcultureandalinkeddestiny,thenyoucanlookbeyondaddiction andrecoveryasapersonalstoryandbegintoseealargerstoryofpeoplebecoming awareoftheirstatusas“apeople”andjoiningtogetherforcommoncause. Where AAandotherrecoverymutualaidgroupsseektoreshapethepersonalstory,thenew recoveryadvocacymovementseekstoreshapethecollectivestory.Theformerseeks tochangetheindividual;thelatterseekstochangetheworld. StephenBamber Elaborateonthisdistinction. WilliamWhite Let’staketheissueofnationaloflocalforcesthatpromoteexcessiveAODuse.These includepredatoryillicitdrugmarkets,unscrupulouselementsofthepharmaceut- icalindustryandtheenormouslypowerfulalcoholandtobaccoindustries.I’mtalk- ing about excessive drug availability, unchecked and medically unwarranted pre- scribingofpsychoactivedrugsandalcoholproductsandadvertisingaimedatchil- dren. IfyouarearecoverymutualaidfellowshiplikeAAorNAorSMARTRecovery, thesearenotyourissues,becauseyourfocusisoninitiatingandsustainingrecov- eryasapersonaljourneyregardlessoftheenvironmentalcircumstances.You’renot tryingtochangetheworld, onlycreateawayforpeopletorecoverwithinit. But ifyouarearecoveryadvocacyorganization,anyconditionintheenvironmentthat contributestoaddictionandinhibitsorunderminesrecoveryisyourissue. Recov- eryfellowshipsareatgreatriskofgettingdivertedfromtheirprimarymissionwhen theygetcaughtupinsuchcontroversial“outsideissues”andwhentheytakeonthe political power of thelicitandillicit drugindustriesor others whose interests are threatenedbyastrongrecoveryadvocacymovement. Sowhatpreciseaspectsoftheworldarerecoveryadvocacymovementsseeking tochange? Putsimply,weareseekingtochangeideas,wordsandimagesthrough whichAODproblemsareexpressed. Wewanttochangehowpeopleareperceived whohaveorwhooncehadbutnolongerhavetheseproblems. Wewantpolicies and programs that enhance resistance to AOD problems and provide support for long-termrecoveryfromtheseproblemsandtheireffectsonindividuals,families, neighborhoodsandcommunities. Wewantfullydevelopedculturesofrecoveryin communitiesthroughouttheworldthatcelebratetherecoveryexperienceandgive backtothosecommunitiesthroughrecovery-focusedservicework. RootsofRecoveryAdvocacyMovements StephenBamber It strikes me there needs to be a particular kind of personal, social, and cultural milieuinwhichrecoveryadvocacymovementscanemerge,flourishandgrow. Can yououtlinetheseconditionsinmoredetail? 4 WilliamWhite Likepersonalrecovery,thesemovementsspringfromasynergyofpainandhope. The pain often comes from oppressive conditions affecting both those still in the life and those in recovery. In the case of the U.S., those conditions included the restigmatization,demedicalizationandrecriminalizationofaddictionontheheels ofthecocainesurgeofthe1980sandaparallelculturalbacklashagainstrecoveryas abriefpopphenomenon. Italsocamefromagrowingsensethattheever-growing U.S.treatmentindustryhadlostitsway—hadbecomedisconnectedfromthelarger andmoreenduringprocessofaddictionrecovery. Peoplecontinuedtorecover,but thesilenceabouttheseexternalsocialconditionswasbecomingsuffocatingbythe mid-1990s.Whatstartedaspersonalconversationsaroundthecountryevolvedinto anemergingmovementby2000. Somethinghadtohappen. Youcanreachapointindividuallyandcollectively wherecontinuedsilencebecomesanactofspiritualsuicide. Youcanreachapoint asapeoplewhereyoumustspeakorneveragainbeabletolookeachotherinthe eyes. Youcanreachapointpersonallywhereyoumustspeakorneverbeableto lookintoyourowneyeswithoutseeingthemaskofanimpostor. Paincancreate suchacollective/personalcrisis,butonlyhopecanturnitintoamovement. StephenBamber WhatwasthatsourceofhopeintheU.S.andisitinanywayrelatedtotheearlier emergence of the mental health recovery movement and its associated advocacy organisations? WilliamWhite Thementalhealthrecoverymovementdidnotexertasignificantinfluenceonthe newaddictionrecoveryadvocacymovementintheU.S.becausetherehasuntilre- centlybeenagreatdealofsocialandculturalseparationbetweenthesetwoworlds. Thesparkforuswasreachingacriticalmassofpeopleinaddictionrecoverywho feltthattheguidingvisionsofpastgenerationsofrecoveryadvocateshadbeenlost andthatwehadadutytospeakoutnotjustasindividualsbutasacommunity. By speaking,Iamnotreferringtothekindofemotionalhemophiliathatisinvoguein confessionalwritingandtelevisionexposés. I’mnottalkingaboutgushingthede- tailsofourpastlivesinpublicforums—detailsthatoffergreatdramabutofferlittle personalorpolicyguidance.And,mostimportantly,Iamnottalkingaboutisolated individualsdoingsuchspeaking;I’mtalkingaboutthousandsofpeoplestandingin unisontospeak. I’mtalkingabouttheactofdeclaringone’sstatusasapersoninrecoveryinap- propriatecontextsandatappropriatetimes. I’mtalkingaboutproclaimingthatre- coveryisbothpossibleandalivingrealityformillionsofindividualsandfamilies. I’m talking about offering living proof that people who have once been part of a problemaretodaypartofitssolution. Somethingverymagicalhappenedwhenwe came together, notas AA or NA or SMART Recovery or Celebrate Recovery members,butaspeopleinrecovery—somethingnoneofushadexperiencedwithinour 5 respectivepersonalpathwaysofrecovery. Forthefirsttime,welookedbeyondour ownstoriesandourownpathwaysofrecoveryandbegantoseeourselvesasapeople withauniquehistoryandashareddestiny. Whatoursharedstoriesrevealedwasthataddictioncrushedeverythingofvalue —everythingweeverwereorhopedtobe,eventhedesireforlifeitself. Andyetwe learnedthatfromtheseveryashesarecoveryprocesscanrisethatleadstohopeand anewlife.Thenewrecoveryadvocacymovementthatisspreadingaroundtheworld isamovementbuiltonthehopeandgratitudeoftheresurrected. Thesparkforus intheU.S.andthesparkthatbegancarryingthismessageinternationallyhasbeen theemergenceofrecoverycarriers—peoplewillingtousetheirownpersonal/family recoveryexperiencesasaplatformforsocialchange. StephenBamber IwastwelveyearsinandoutoftreatmentbeforeIfinallycamefacetofacewith somebodyinlong-termrecovery. Thatwasanincrediblypowerfultherapeuticen- counterthatprofoundlyalteredmyapproachtomyownrecovery.Inowhadasolid foundationonwhichtobuild–hoperenderedvisible.Wouldyousaythathopecre- atesasharedvisionofwhatcouldbe?Isitpossibletomanufacturehope,orgenerate itsystematically? WilliamWhite Ithinkrecoveryadvocacymovementsstartwithconversationsfromwhichriseboth collectivehopeandasharedvisionofhowthedoorwayofentryintorecoverycould be widened. The vision must captivate and elevate, but it must also contain ele- mentsthatareattainableintheshortrun.Movementsfeedonsmallsuccessesthat raise the possibility of big successes. One of my favorite verses from the Bible is, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” but a movement can exhaust itself withavisiondisconnectedfromtherealitiesofthemovement’sresources. “Ihave adream”speechesareonlyaseffectiveastheplansandprogramsthatfollow. The challengeofmakingamovementwork“ontheground”istochartacoursebetween thedreamersandthedoomsayers. Greatachievementsandgreatdefeatsproduce equalthreatstothefutureofamovementbecausetheymakeitseemlikeeverything ispossibleorthatnothingispossible. StephenBamber Whatdistinguishesthosemovementsthatflourishandgrowandthosethatwhither away? WilliamWhite I’mnotsurethatweknow. Organizingacrosscommunitiesofrecoveryisnoteasy. We are a people who struggle to fit in—with other people and even into our own skins. Organizingrecoveringpeopleisliketryingtoherdcatsorsnakes. Wearenot a very herdable bunch, and we are prone to strike at each other when provoked. 6 Ittakesaspecialsetofcircumstancesforthesemovementstofullylaunchand,as yousuggest—andlikerecoveryitself,successisoftenprecededbymanyfalsestarts. I wish there was a formula to this, but there really is something magical about it all—therightpeoplerisingtogetheratjusttherightmoment. Itisamazingtosee suchculturalconnectionarisefromsomanyhistoriesofpersonaldisconnection. I amstillinaweofitall.Thekeyseemstobetheemergenceofbridgepeople—those who hold membership in and command respect from multiple groups. Without thosepeopleleadingthewaytowardalargeridentity, allyouhaveiswarringper- sonalities,groupsandideologies.Foramovementtoflourish,selectedmembersof closedgroupsmustriseabovetheirsectarianidentitiesandforgeabroaderunder- standingofWE—abroadercircleofidentificationofmypeople. StephenBamber “Abroadercircleofidentificationofmypeople”–thisstatementseemstosuggest that membership of such groups is important in terms of self-identification and self-transformation. Is there something formative about involvement in recovery advocacymovementsthatrelatestotherecoveryjourneyitself? WilliamWhite {\noindent}Ithinkso.Therearealotofpeoplewhoresolvesubstanceusedisorders withoutatransformationinpersonalidentity. Thisisrevealedthroughcommunity studies reporting a significant population of people who once met criteria for alcohol or drug dependence but have not met such criteria in the past year. Many oftheseindividualsdonotself-identifyashavingbeenaddictedorseethemselves todayasapersoninrecovery. Butforthemostsevereandcomplexsubstanceuse disorders,Idothinkthisidentitytransformationisoftenanintegralpartofthere- coveryprocess.Thisisevidentinanalmostuniversalstorystyleacrosssecular,spir- itual andreligiouspathwaysofrecovery. We describewhatthingsusedtobelike (addiction career), what happened (transformation process) and what things are like now (recovery career). Story reconstruction, storytelling and identifying with thestoriesofothersaretheritualsofidentitytransformationwithinthismoreself- consciousrecoveryprocess. StephenBamber Wouldyousaythatrecoveryandrecoveryadvocacyhassuccessfullypenetratedall minorityandmarginalizedcommunitiesintheUS?Iammindfulofthesituationin theUK(wherethisismostdefinitelynotthecase) WilliamWhite It is a mixed picture. We have strong representation of African Americans in re- coveryandorganizationsthatservepredominatelyAfricanAmericancommunities 7 withinthenationalrecoveryadvocacymovementintheU.S.NativeAmericanlead- ersandorganizationsalsohavebeenincludedfromthebeginningandhaveexer- tedapowerfulinfluenceontheoverallmovement,particularinthepersonofDon CoyhisandWhiteBison,Inc. WhileinvolvementofHispanicandAsian-American organizationsisincreasing,westillhavealongwaytogotofullyinvolvethesecom- munities. Members of the LGBT community have also had strong representation in the recovery advocacy movement since its inception. There continues to be a struggleatlocallevelstoachieverepresentationbymembersofhistoricallymargin- alizedcommunities. StephenBamber Whataboutcountriesinwhichthereisnoevidenceofsuchamovementyet? WilliamWhite TogetfromItoWE—theemergenceofacollectiveconsciousnessandmutualcom- mitment takes a while and the process can include many aborted efforts. There aremanycountriesaroundtheworldthathavefewifanyaddictionrecoverysup- portgroups,fewifanytreatmentresources,andnovisiblerecoverysupportorad- vocacymovement.Butallcountrieshavegonethroughsuchastage.Thesequence isusuallyconversations,mobilization,supportgroupsandthenadvocacygroups, andthatneededsequencecanunfoldoveryearsoroverdecades.Whatavisiblein- ternationalrecoveryadvocacymovementwilldoisdramaticallyspeedmovement throughthesestagesthroughtheinstantaneousexchangeofinformationandsup- portthattheInternetprovides. StephenBamber BruceAlexandereloquentlydescribestheglobalizationofaddiction. Doyouthink weareatastagewherewecantalkaboutacorollary‘globalizationofrecovery’? WilliamWhite Idothinkweareapproachingthatstage.Thelevelofinternationalcontactbetween recovery advocates has never been greater, and recovery movements around the worldseemconcernedaboutreversingthelossofcommunitythatAlexandermourns. Isuspectwewillseethisblossominthenextdecade. FacesandVoicesofRecovery intheU.S.haslaunchedaninternationalsectiontoitswebsiteasawaytoprovide connective tissue between people and organizations in countries where recovery advocacyactivitiesareincreasing. StephenBamber Theby-productsofglobalization,suchastheexplosivegrowthinelectronicsocial mediawillcatalyzethegrowthofthesemovements. Willtherenotbeacontiguous homogenizationofrecoveryadvocacyandisthisagoodorbadthing? 8 WilliamWhite The growing presence of recovery advocacy via electronic media could produce suchhomogenization, butIsuspectwewillcontinuetoseebroadculturaladapt- ationsofboththegoalsandstrategiesofworldwiderecoveryadvocacymovements inthecomingdecades. ThereisatendencyintheUStoseeourselvesasateacher ratherthanastudentinthisprocess—oneofourworstcharacterdefects,butIthink inthelongruntheUShasmuchtolearnfromwhatisunfoldingintheUKandin othercountries. StephenBamber Onasidenote–arethetechniquesandpracticesofrecoveryadvocacyspecificto theculturalmilieuofglobalneoliberalism?Willcommunitieswhoaremarginalized bytheseglobalforcesbeabletospawneffectiverecoveryadvocacymovements? WilliamWhite WehopethenewinternationalsectionoftheFacesandVoicesofRecoverywebsite willprovidesomeanswerstothisprecisequestion.Atpresent,wereallydon’tknow. Isuspectthatwewillseewondrousvarietiesandstylesofrecoveryadvocacy, and wemaywellfindcontextsinwhichrecoverymovementsarenotyetpossible. Even the term recovery may be recast and redefined in different cultural contexts. Re- covery,sobriety,andWellbrietyhaveservedascentralorganizingmetaphorsinthe U.S., butthereisnoassurancethesetermswillhavesimilarsalienceinothercul- tures,althoughthespreadofAAandNAinternationallysuggestswideresonanceof theseconcepts.IntheWest(USandUK),wehavepublicadvocacyandmassrecov- erycelebrationevents. Itisnotclearthatrecoveryadvocacywilltakesuchformsin SouthAmerica,Europe,AsiaandAfrica.Andthesemovementsmaynotunfoldcon- temporaneously. Eachmayneedtounfoldinitsowntime. Whatmostamazesme isthegreatvarietyofvenuesthroughwhichrecoveryadvocacyisbeingexpressed internationally: art,literature,music,theatre,comedy,business,media,sportand religiousministries,tonamejustafew.Iamtheultimatestudentoftheseformsand can’twaittoseewhatthefutureholds. Ihavewrittenagreatdealabouttheculture ofrecovery, butIthinkthisculturewillreachstagesofdevelopmentinthefuture thatarenowunfathomable. MovementLeadership StephenBamber Whatguidancewouldyouhaveforpersonswhowouldseekorwhowouldbeasked toassumeleadershippositionswithinrecoveryadvocacyorganizations? WilliamWhite Suchrolescanbringdeepfulfillment,buttheyalsocomewithhiddenrisks. Vul- nerabilitymaybeanaspectofallleadershiproles,butthismaybeparticularlypro- 9 nouncedinorganizationsorganizedbyandonbehalfofpersonsfromhistorically disempoweredgroups. Irecalloneofmyfriendsoncenotingofthecivilrightsor- ganizationsinwhichhewasinvolved,“Wedon’telectleaders;weelectvictims.”He wasreferringtothetendencyoftheseorganizationstoscapegoattheirleaderswhile theleadersarelivingonlytolaterreifythem–oftenaftertheirdeaths. Withinany stigmatizedgroup,wewantourleaderstoexcel—tomodelthebestofwhatwecan be.Andyettheshadowsofshameandinferiorityburiedinsideusgetprojectedonto ourleadersintheformofdoubt,criticismandattack. WhentherecoveryadvocacymovementintheU.S.firstcameofageintheU.S., ourfirstnationalleadersbroughtrecoverycredentials,butmanyhadshortlifeex- pectanciesintheirleadershiproles. Inretrospect,I’mnotsureanyoneinrecovery fromanyconstituencygroupcouldhavecommandedbroadenoughrespectanda broadenoughrangeofskillstohavesurvivedatanationalleadershiplevel. When Pat Taylor assumed leadership of Faces and Voices of Recovery, there were initial mumblingsfromthegrassrootsthatshewasnotapersoninrecovery,butshewas theperfectchoiceatthattimetostandwithouthistoricalbaggagebetweenallthe constituencygroupsandbringthemalltothetable.Yes,shebroughtgreatskillsand energytothisrole,butshesucceededalsobecausewedidnotneedtoactoutour owndamagedself-esteematherexpense. I’mnotsuggestingweavoidchoosinge leadersinrecovery, butIamsuggestingthatallourleadersneedprotectionfrom forces within the movement as well as from the more visible forces of resistance fromoutsidethemovement. StephenBamber Thisraisesabroaderquestionabouttherolespeoplewithoutpersonalorfamily recoveryexperiencecanplayinthemovement. WilliamWhite Thereisalonghistoryofthecontributionsofpeoplenotinrecoverytorecovery mutual aid societies and recovery advocacy movements similar to the supportive roleswhitesplayedintheAmericancivilrightsmovement. Whatwouldhavebeen thefateofAAwithoutpeoplelikeCharlesTowns,Dr. WilliamSilkworth,Reverend SamShoemaker,HenriettaSeiberling,SisterIgnatia,Dr.HarryTiebout,JackAlexan- der,FatherEdwardDowling,JohnRockefeller,WillardRichardson,andFrankAmos, tonamejustafew? AAhistorianErnieKurtzoncenotedthefollowingaboutthese individuals. Theywerenotalcoholic,buttheydidallhavesomethingincommon:each,inhis orherownway,hadexperiencedtragedyintheirlives.Theyhadallknownkenosis; theyhadbeenemptiedout;theyhadhitbottom....whatevervocabularyyouwant. Theyhadstaredintotheabyss.Theyhadlivedthroughadarknightofthesoul.Each hadencounteredandsurvivedtragedy. WhatErnieissuggestinghereisveryimportant. Whatisneededtoconnectto thismovementisnotapaststatusofaddictionnoraparticularsetofprofessional credentialsbutexperiencesthatallowapersontorelatetorecoveringpeoplefrom 10