Racism Is An Addiction…In The Recovery Industry by Ester Nicholson

IS THERE A 12-STEP PROGRAM FOR THAT? –

Oct. 4, 2021 –

I am a black woman in recovery.

In my 35 years of recovery, and as a recovery professional, I have experienced bias and racism. When I entered treatment, I was the only black in the entire treatment facility—including staff and residents. No one there looked like me, thought like me or could relate to my intergenerational and cultural trauma. It was never even addressed, therefore vital aspects of my recovery were not met, and I left treatment feeling under-served.I can assure you, I am not alone. I was given the “one size fits all” approach, and yet felt excluded because the color of my skin was different, my cultural background was different—I was different. When I attended meetings outside of the black community, I was met with much the same experience. Even today as a keynote speaker at recovery conferences, I am commonly one out of four blacks in the room.We all know this can’t be right. Racial and ethnic minorities have historically been challenged accessing services, and when they do receive them, it is too often not equivalent to that of their white fellows.