The Anonymous People is an independent feature documentary about over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions. Read that again. At the time this documentary was published in 2014, it was estimated there were over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions.
10% of Americans report being in recovery from alcohol and drugs
Data shows more than 23 Million adults living in the U.S. once had drug or alcohol problems but no longer do. So then…wait a minute.
Why aren’t more people talking about it? Why aren’t they normalizing it? In a world that is obsessed with talking about gluten-free, organic, keto, grass-fed, vegan, avocado toast (you get the idea), this is a huge health crisis that is still, in 2021, being swept under the rug. But guess what? It’s changing. It is also changing at a rapid-fire pace that blows my mind. I liken it to drinking out of a fire hydrant.
Recovery Out Loud
This powerful documentary explores the deeply entrenched social stigma of addiction, a preventable and treatable health condition, and tracks the passionate new public recovery movement as courageous recovery advocates lay it all on the line and come out of the shadows to tell their stories.
In the last year, excuse me, the previous unprecedented year, I have become very aware that the public recovery movement is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Sober Influencers are a thing now. Recovery is exploding on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and the new Club House. Not to mention the sober bloggers, authors, YouTubers, podcasts, and the non-alcoholic beverage movement. You should also check out the site’s Pay It Forward section for a growing resource of recovery nonprofit organizations nationwide.
In this documentary, Greg Williams presents an alternative to AA’s way of thinking about addiction and recovery. I will tell you right now: It’s worth the watch. Keep reading if you want to, or trust me, and add it to your playlist.
First things first
The documentary gets off with a bumpy take-off. Williams talks a lot about his recovery. He expresses valid points about how celebrities will get more media coverage for being self-destructive vs. shining a light on celebrities who got sober and put their lives back together. But hang in there, sober champ. It starts to get interesting when Williams lays out how America has dealt with substance abuse in its recent history. Basically, covering the last 50 years.
It really digs into the War on Drugs of the 80s and 90s and how much that contributed to the stigma that was already firmly in place. As a child of the 80s turned alcoholic by the 90s, I was fascinated by the perspective.
It then pivots into a new generation of advocates for addicts. Ones that believe that silence equals death. Coming out of the shadows about recovery starts to really take hold. One of the hallmark principles of AA and the 12th tradition is anonymity, which is often misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misused by people in recovery. And if the ones inside of the program are confused, be sure those looking in from the outside don’t understand it either.
“The Anonymous People” argues that this tradition is not intended to prevent people from sharing that they’re in recovery. Rather, it’s to keep newcomers safe. That’s part of the attraction. Without the protection of anonymity, who would want to wander into a church basement and bare their soul?
The Anonymous People – Trailer
Where to watch:
It’s available in a variety of places, including Amazon, iTunes, and YouTube. Are you wild about recovery and crave learning more? Me too! This may be the best $3.99 you spend all year. Essentially, it will reinforce the fact that community truly is the backbone of where recovery is built. Community is vital. Vital means necessary for life, by the way. Re-watching this movie that I hadn’t seen in years has me fired up and wanting to do more.
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4.5 out of 5
A Disco Ball is Hundreds of Pieces of Broken Glass, Put Together to Make a Magical Ball of Light. You are NOT Broken, Friend. You are a DISCO BALL!
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
