Recovering resident shares story of hope for those experiencing substance use disorder

After many years of substance misuse,
Brittany Reichmann realized that sobriety is
a lifetime choice for her. She works to raise
awareness that a life in recovery is possible
and that by telling her story, she hopes to
decrease the stigma about substance use
disorder among people of all ages..
PHOTO BY SUSIE LEE PHOTOGRAPHY 

By Lorraine Glowczak

Brittany [Fearon] Reichmann of Windham grew up in a loving home and was raised by two adoring parents and had a fun-loving brother. She was an avid soccer player who was very involved in extracurricular activities as a youth. She graduated from Windham High School in 2007 with honors and an above 4.0-grade point average. She had a perfect life – until a prescribed medication led to illegal substance misuse that robbed her passion for living the life of her dreams.

“I really had a wonderful life before I was introduced to a variety of mind-altering substances,” Reichmann said. “I started drinking around the age of 14 – when I was a freshman. It was a casual thing to do with friends on the weekends. It was here that it all began.”

During her sophomore year, however, Reichmann had her wisdom teeth removed. To relieve the pain, she was prescribed a small dose of the prescription opioid, Vicodin. This substance changed the trajectory of her life.

“The second I began taking that prescription, I really loved the way it made me feel,” Reichmann admitted.

Soon, her prescription ran out, and she longed for the ‘fix’ that Vicodin provided. A close friend mentioned that there were opioids easily accessible in medicine cabinets of various family and friends. They found and began helping themselves to this “medicine cabinet” substance.

“As soon as he told me how accessible opioids were, we found some and took them that day,” Reichmann said. “For him, it was just for fun, and the use didn’t have detrimental effects. But for me, that fun became a habit.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), this habit was not a choice for Reichmann. NIDA maintains that substance use disorder is a genetic makeup that the individual cannot control. “As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a medical disorder that affects the brain and changes behavior.”

While Reichmann’s friend could easily experiment with opioids without harmfully changing his behavior, Reichmann’s brain reacted differently.

“We still do not fully understand why some people develop an addiction to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug use,” NIDA website confirmed.

Reichmann continued providing a successful persona to her family and friends during the rest of her high school years. Every college she applied to, accepted her. Finally, she decided on the University of New Hampshire.

“When I was attending college, everyone was partying, drinking and taking drugs – while at the same time also doing what they were supposed to be doing - going to class and studying,” Reichmann said. “During my freshman year, I was already incapable of doing those things without the use of substances. If I did not have access to opioids, I didn’t go to class. If I couldn’t find that substance, I would rely on alcohol. It was not uncommon for me to show up on a Tuesday morning class, already drunk at 11 a.m. in order to take an exam.”

It wasn’t until her second semester of college that things worsened. Three weeks into the spring semester, she experienced a mental breakdown.

“I called my family and told them that I couldn’t do this anymore - that college was not the right place for me,” she said. “Everyone understood that I was undergoing a sort of depression and were there to support me, but the thing is, no one knew I had a substance use disorder.”

She returned home to live with her family and enrolled in a local college. Unfortunately, being around a supportive family did not change her substance misuse, and she began buying opioids from dealers and thus surrounding herself with new ‘friends’.

“Things continued to get worse and worse – eventually, my parents noticed my substance misuse,” Reichmann said. “They would give me stipulations. ‘Get a job’, ‘Go to school’, they pleaded.”

After ten years of trying, and failing, to become sober, she experienced an epiphany.

I remember sitting on the porch at my parents’ house and asking myself, ‘How did I get here?’, she said. “This reflection brought me to my knees – it was the turning point after years of failed sobriety. I realized that this is a lifetime thing for me. I can never drink or take any form of substance, ever. My body and mind are different than others and will not be able to respond to substances in a healthy way.”

But by this time, family and friends asked her to hold herself accountable. They had had enough of helping her after multiple ‘failures.”. So, Reichmann took a chance and requested help from her employer.

“I asked them to loan me money so I could finally become sober,” Reichmann said. “I promised to pay them back, and they agreed. I got help, went to a sober living facility, and rebuilt my life. I’ve repaid the loan my employer gave me, and now I’m living a healthy and happy life of sobriety.”

Reichmann is now five years sober. She is a homeowner, a wife, and a mother of a 1-year-old son. She works as the Program Manager for Maine Association of Recovery Residences, assisting others in the life of recovery.

“I’m currently living my greatest passion, helping others to live a life of active recovery while also decreasing the stigma surrounding substance misuse,” she said. “But perhaps more importantly, by sharing my personal story, I am raising awareness that a life of recovery is possible. I am living proof that change is doable despite it all – believe me. I’ve been through a lot. I promise – there is not a challenge that a person cannot come back from. There is hope. Never give up.”

Resources are available for those who are experiencing substance use disorder and desperately want to make a change.

They include the following:

* Lakes Region Recovery Center in Bridgton, 25 Hospital Drive, Suite E, 207-803-8707.

* Portland Recovery Center in Portland, 102 Bishop St., Portland, 207-553-2575.

* National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI-Maine) in Hallowell, 52 Water St., 800-464-5767.

* Brittany Reichmann, bmfearon89@gmail.com.

In an extreme mental health crisis, turn to the new crisis hotline to receive immediate expert care by dialing 988. <

Recovery during the pandemic; maintaining sobriety during a year of social distancing

By Lorraine Glowczak  

“The effects of the pandemic have been very hard for those of us in recovery, who support each other in maintaining a life free of alcohol and/or drugs,” said Laurie (To honor her privacy, we will only use Laurie’s first name). “Addiction is a disease of isolation. Even if people are around, emotionally you feel alone. For myself, a closet drinker with a definite problem getting sober, desperation led me to a 12-step recovery program.”

Laurie went on to say that it was the love and support of a group of people who accepted her and didn’t judge her missteps that helped her discover and stay on the path of sobriety. Laurie shares her experience about staying sober during a time when public gatherings are prohibited for the safety of all involved.

“There is no one to hug, no one to share meals with, no one to have discussions with, no one to sit and share feelings with.”

According to “Medical News Today”, numerous studies have found that alcohol and drug consumption has increased during the pandemic, and dramatically so for people with depression. With the concerns regarding the increase among those who were not struggling to stay sober, leaders in the field of recovery have become extraordinarily concerned for those experiencing substance use disorder and have taken a closer look at possible increases in accidental overdoses due to the required social isolation.

Gordan Smith, State of Maine’s Director of Opioid Response said that although there have been recent increases in fatal overdoses, studies indicated that the increases began during the final quarter of 2019 before COVID.

“There is something more going on than just the impact of social distancing,” Smith said in an email interview. “Although social distancing likely has had some negative impact, we do not have hard evidence on that point currently and are taking several aggressive actions addressing the increase.”

Cumberland County District Attorney, Jonathan Sahrbeck, who oversees the Rehabilitation and Diversion Program with Coordinator Stephanie Gilbert, states that supportive environments and systems are very beneficial in maintaining a person’s recovery and he suspects social isolation is having a major impact.

“Hard data is very valuable in helping us identify a problem and taking positive action, but the lived experience should not be ignored and is a significant factor to consider,” Sahrbeck said. “It is very clear to me as a result of working with the Rehabilitation and Diversion Program that the loss of support systems can lead to relapse and fatal overdoses.”

Although there is currently no firm data available that points to social isolation and overdose – the “lived experience” of recovery during the pandemic speaks to the challenges. It is for this reason that Laurie, who has been in sobriety for 30 years, is willing to share her story.

“I am a retired nurse who lives alone in a small home I love, in the middle of the woods,” she said. “Luckily, I am an introvert, so when we were told to stay at home, it wasn't too big of a change at first. But it soon became clear that not having contact with others in recovery was becoming difficult. I was used to stopping by the recovery center for a coffee and visit a bit with whoever might be there.”

Laurie said that the isolation was also having a negative impact on her PTSD, with increasing anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.

“Before getting sober, I would use alcohol to calm the effects of a PTSD attack,” she said. “But the people I met in recovery with the addition of a spiritual path helped me when alcohol was no longer an option. At moments during the pandemic when my PTSD became unbearable and I began to find myself becoming more vulnerable to having a drink, it was the people at the recovery center who were there for me and helped me stay on the road of recovery.”

But after the recovery center closed due to the pandemic, a virtual support system was immediately put in place.

“Zoom meetings were set up that were and still are available every day,” Laurie continued. “Different kinds of meetings were developed to meet the needs of as many people as possible including phone calls and texts. I'm incredibly grateful for all of the virtual contacts but I miss seeing someone in person. I have no family in the area, so don't have a "bubble" of safe people. I struggle more with the PTSD.”

Laurie’s two sons reach out to her virtually and they meet on Zoom every few weeks. She also has a rescue dog who she enjoys loving and giving attention, but still the days of recovery during the pandemic continue to be a challenge.

“Sometimes I stand outside and realize I have seen no one for days,” she said. “I've even ordered from Amazon so the mail delivery person would drive her jeep down my driveway with a box and we'd chat a few minutes as she worked. Just that little bit of company is precious. When times are difficult, it would be so easy to go buy some wine, and no one would know. Thank God I know what would happen if I did that! And have friends who have the same fears and loneliness and struggles that support me and others to remain sober.”

For those who may be having the same “lived experience” during this year-long social isolation, Laurie offers these final words.

“For anyone who is feeling isolated and struggling during this time, know that there are people going through similar struggles who care and will be there for you as much as physically possible and that it is the right thing to reach out to either your primary [care physician], a hot line, a recovery center or a trusted friend. We need each other for support now more than ever. Remember you aren't alone......reach out. Someone who cares will be there. We're in this together.” <

Help available

If you find yourself struggling to maintain sobriety, whether during the pandemic or otherwise, there are a number of resources available:

** Maine Crisis Hotline, 1-888-568-1112

** The Intentional Warm Line, 1-866-771-9276

** Portland Recovery Community Center, 207-553-2575,

www.portlandrecovery.org/recovery-support/

** Lakes Region Recovery Center, 207-803-8709, www.lrrcbridgton.org/