Rogers State University will be hosting a recovery awareness initiative to reduce the stigma surrounding those struggling with substance abuse.
“Stomp the Stigma” is slated for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the RSU Conservation Education Reserve, commonly known as the “Nature Reserve,” on the Claremore campus. Attendees are invited to join the walk from any point of the reserve in solidarity with those whose lives have been impacted by addiction and to complete the walk knowing that there is hope.
Hosted by RSU’s Prevention on the Hill, Stomp the Stigma was the idea of RSU sophomore Ce’gon Shoeleh, who is herself a survivor of drug addiction.
“This walk is something I felt was important – something that could call attention to the plight of people – right here in the community – struggling with addiction,” she said. “It can affect anyone from any walk of life and when they’re in the middle of it, they can feel like there’s no way out, that there’s no hope for recovery, but there is. Help is available. Support is available. With this walk, we’re hoping to spread that message.”
Shoeleh’s motivations come not just from her compassion for others, but from her own struggles with addiction.
“When I was 21, I hurt my back and started taking prescription pain killers,” she said. “That’s how my addiction to opioids got started. I’d been to treatment centers, but I wasn’t able to truly start on my hard road to recovery until I hit rock bottom – and rock bottom looks different for everyone.
“Today, I feel great.I wake up every morning, looking forward to the day,” she continued. “I’ve repaired broken relationships and have a huge support system behind me. The advice I would have for other people struggling with addiction is to reach out, to ask for help. I know it’s scary. I know there can be a lot of shame associated with addiction, but something about shame is that it dies in the light, and we’re hoping this walk shines a light on this.”
An informational tent will be set up in the parking lot near the entrance of the nature reserve for the duration of the event, and Light of Hope volunteers also will be in attendance to provide additional assistance.
Stomp the Stigma is open to all members of the community.
RSU partners with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to provide prevention education and events on campus. Efforts are focused on substance misuse and suicide prevention.
RSU Prevention on the Hill is a campus coalition focused on substance misuse prevention at RSU. The coalition meets monthly in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center and is open to all, including community members outside the RSU campus.
For more information about Prevention on the Hill or Stomp the Stigma, contact RSU Drug Prevention Coordinator Roxanne Bilby at [email protected].