September 28, 2024 • 11 mins
Hundreds of people in recovery are expected to gather at Carson Beach in South Boston on October 5 for the Shatterproof Walk. Shatterproof is a Connecticut-based non-profit that works to stop the stigma surrounding substance abuse and addiction by bringing people together in community. They also provide critical resources for people who want to find help and get on the road to recovery. Kirsten Seckler, Marketing Director for Shatterproof, shares information about the upcoming walk and Shatterproof's mission.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each week we come together right here we talk about
all the topics important to you and the place where
you live. It is so good to be back with
you on the show this week. I'm Nicole Davis. When
somebody finds themselves in the throes of addiction, access to
the right support can be a major lifeline. Sometimes that
(00:28):
support can be family and friends or coworkers, or it
could come unexpectedly from a neighbor next door. See a
support of community can be just the thing for those
who need a little extra boost to go and get
on that journey to recovery. Take the first steps and
stay on the path. It is a journey that nobody
should have to walk alone. Chatterproof is a nonprofit based
(00:50):
in Connecticut, and they work to connect those who are
struggling with substance abuse, not just to help they need,
but also with community members they might need. And they
also work to break the stigma that often stops people
from allowing themselves to be vulnerable and go reach out
for that help. Kirsten Seckler is the chief Marketing officer
at Shatterproof. She's here to tell us all about this. Kirsten.
(01:10):
Good to have you here, and you know, from what
I've seen, there is a really powerful story behind Shatterproof.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Shatterproof is a nonprofit organization that was founded to really
help bring awareness and bring substance use disorder to the
forefront in this country. It was founded by Gary Mindel,
who is a businessman out of Connecticut and he had
a son who struggled with substance use disorder for many,
(01:39):
many years, went to eight different treatment centers, and even
when he was sober for thirteen months, felt so much
shame from substance use disorder and just what he was
going through. He took his own life and it really
shattered Gary's family, and Gary, being a very smart businessman,
said how do I stop this from happy to any
(02:00):
other family? And that's how Shatterproof was born. It was
one man's grief that was brought to the forefront, and
he said, I want to fix this for our country.
So he studied substance use disorder. He studied all of
what's happening and has focused the organization really around three
major things. One is making sure there is evidence based
(02:23):
information available for families across the country and for those
who may be living with substance use disorder. Number two,
let's make sure we transform the addiction treatment system. Nobody
should go through eight different treatment centers for care. And three,
let's end addiction stigma. And that's what we're out to
do in Boston this coming walk.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So tell me a little bit about what you do
besides the walks at Shatterproof not just to bring awareness
but also to connect people with help.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So Shatterproof is here to be a trusted guide for
individuals you want to learn about substance use disorder, who
want to maybe struggling with substance use disorder, and we
provide a vast amount of evidence based information on our
website at shatterproof dot org. We also have a website
called treatment at list dot org that helps individuals and
(03:16):
families navigate to the right type of quality treatment. It's
one step up from other substance use disorder treatment locators
where it provides a lot of filters for people to
be looking at. You know, payment methods, Jesus place cover
is covered by my Healthcare. It also has other demographic information,
(03:37):
so it's a really useful, free and confidential website and
resource for families and then of course we mobilize communities
to come together around our walks, but also for volunteer opportunities,
and we give voice to a men medical condition that's
really been in the shadows and we want to bring
(03:58):
it to the forefront.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
You bring up a really point there, because I feel
like people think of addiction as just a mental health thing, like, oh,
I can stop any time I want, But it really
has become medical research has shown that addiction is a
medical problem as well. It is so much more than
just an emotional issue or just a problem that can
be solved by a couple of trips to the therapist.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You're right, it really is. It's a treatable medical condition.
And we know from recent research that we did with
the Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index, that about seventy five percent
of the country does not even understand that it's a
medical condition, which exacerbates and compounds the stigma that already exists.
And so we're here to really help the country understand
(04:43):
that this is a medical condition, that it's treatable with
the right type of quality treatment, and that we have
communities that care about people who are struggling with this disease.
We don't want people to feel isolated in shame and
judgment any longer. I want them to know that there's
a community that cares, and that we are really trying
(05:04):
to get society to care about this issue, including medical
professionals and employers and all different facets of society so
that we can help our loved ones recover.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
The stigma is real. You bring up that point too.
The stigma is absolutely real still to this day when
it comes to people who are struggling with addiction, and
community is important. But I think a lot of people
might be worried about reaching out, or nervous or scared
to reach out because of that stigma. They might think
my neighbor won't understand me, or my family and friends
(05:37):
won't understand what I'm going through. But somebody I was
speaking with recently told me the vast majority of us
know somebody in recovery or struggling with addiction. So if
that's the case, more of us are dealing with this,
then we really ever imagined. So it's hard to have
a stigma when the majority of people are dealing with
some sort of faction of addiction.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
It's really fascinating because I think I find this right
when I start to tell my story about my nephew
or other family members that have had substance use disorder,
I find that it opens up this dialogue with people like, oh,
it's safe for me to say this in front of you,
or it's safe for me to share. And I think
we're dealing with a society that doesn't feel like it's
(06:18):
safe to talk about this, and we've got to stop that.
We've got to stop that shame and that judgment because
as with any other thing that's been stigmatized in this country,
if you remember HIV and AIDS, marriage equality, it wasn't
safe to talk about it. And now when we break
down that stigma, it becomes okay to talk about these things.
And that's what our goal is, is to make the
(06:39):
safe to talk about. Whether it's in the conference room,
in our communities or around the kitchen table, it's just
so important that we start to make the safe to
talk about.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
You're walking here in Boston at Carson Beach, and this
is going to be quite the affair from what I
can see, So tell us a bit about the walk
and what we can expect.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Absolutely, we hope that everyone comes out October fifth Beach
show up at eight am. But we do have an
entire morning program where it feels it's not just a walk.
We're not just getting there to walk, but it's really
a sense of community. People who've lost a loved one
come and celebrate and honor that loved one. People in recovery,
(07:16):
people who just care about this mission, and people who
are living with substance use disorder are all welcome to
be a part of this because we want people to
know that we are all using our voice to end
this addiction stigma. So we have areas where people can
memorialize their loved one. We have an area for recovery.
We also have community partners, community based organizations that are
(07:41):
in the Boston area that offer resources and help, and
we've invited them to come out and be with us
as well. So we have quite the morning. We've got
hundreds of people already signed up. It's free to participate,
it's free to be with us. It is a fundraising
event if anyone cares to do that, but we really
want as many people out there that day so that
(08:03):
we can show Boston, the country, Massachusetts, you name it,
that there are people who are living with this medical
condition and it's time that we use our voices to
end that addiction stigma.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
So do you need volunteers or what if somebody doesn't
want to walk but they just want to be part
of that community, are they welcome there that day regardless.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Anybody can come out. If you don't want to walk
or you can't walk, you just come and you be
with us. There'll be music, there will be opportunities to
meet other people. There's a great opportunity for volunteering as well.
We welcome volunteers and you can register at shatterproofwalk dot
org to be a volunteer or a participant. Anybody is welcome.
(08:52):
And if you just want to come on down that day,
or walking your dog or you're going out for your
jog and you want to come by and check what's
going out, we welcome that as well.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Yeah, you said it's a fundraiser, So what does the
money go towards when people are donating to Shatterproof.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
So any funds raised from our walks is going right
back into the mission work that we do around transforming
addiction treatment, ending addiction stigma, and creating those educational resources
for society. So it's all going right back to the
mission of the organization.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Okay, good, all right, so let's go over the details
really quickly again. When, where, why, how, so on and
so forth.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Saturday, October fifth, Carson Beach, eight am is when we open.
We will be doing an official warm up with Barrie's Gyms,
who is going to get us all ready to go,
And our official walk start time is at nine thirty
in the morning, but we welcome everybody to come on
out around eight because there's so much to do, so
many people to meet, so many activities that we'll have
(09:50):
before we start to walk and show Boston that we
are walking to end addiction stigma.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
And how long is the walk? By the way, are
we talking like ten miles or like a mile? And
an how far are we going?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
We have a couple of different options to you know,
mile out mile back. But if there's a five k version,
if anybody is interested in that, so nothing to treacherous,
and really it's challenged by choice. If you decide you
just want to walk five hundred feet and come on back.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That's your choice.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
I choose that. Well, where can people find out more?
You mentioned the website, but just one more time, give us,
your website, social media, so on and so forth.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Absolutely so to sign up for that walk at shatterproof
walk dot org. Okay, and of course if you need
resources and tools, you can always come to shatterproof dot
org and you can follow us that we are Shatterproof
on Instagram, shatterproof with Facebook as well as.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
LinkedIn and X.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
All Right, well, Kirstin, thank you so much for your time.
Really appreciate it, and all the best with your walk
and I hope it goes fantastically.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Please enjoy the rest of your weekend, have a safe
and healthy one, and join us again next week for
another edition of the show. Nicole Davis from WBZ News
Radio on iHeartRadio
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each week we come together right here we talk about
all the topics important to you and the place where
you live. It is so good to be back with
you on the show this week. I'm Nicole Davis. When
somebody finds themselves in the throes of addiction, access to
the right support can be a major lifeline. Sometimes that
(00:28):
support can be family and friends or coworkers, or it
could come unexpectedly from a neighbor next door. See a
support of community can be just the thing for those
who need a little extra boost to go and get
on that journey to recovery. Take the first steps and
stay on the path. It is a journey that nobody
should have to walk alone. Chatterproof is a nonprofit based
(00:50):
in Connecticut, and they work to connect those who are
struggling with substance abuse, not just to help they need,
but also with community members they might need. And they
also work to break the stigma that often stops people
from allowing themselves to be vulnerable and go reach out
for that help. Kirsten Seckler is the chief Marketing officer
at Shatterproof. She's here to tell us all about this. Kirsten.
(01:10):
Good to have you here, and you know, from what
I've seen, there is a really powerful story behind Shatterproof.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Shatterproof is a nonprofit organization that was founded to really
help bring awareness and bring substance use disorder to the
forefront in this country. It was founded by Gary Mindel,
who is a businessman out of Connecticut and he had
a son who struggled with substance use disorder for many,
(01:39):
many years, went to eight different treatment centers, and even
when he was sober for thirteen months, felt so much
shame from substance use disorder and just what he was
going through. He took his own life and it really
shattered Gary's family, and Gary, being a very smart businessman,
said how do I stop this from happy to any
(02:00):
other family? And that's how Shatterproof was born. It was
one man's grief that was brought to the forefront, and
he said, I want to fix this for our country.
So he studied substance use disorder. He studied all of
what's happening and has focused the organization really around three
major things. One is making sure there is evidence based
(02:23):
information available for families across the country and for those
who may be living with substance use disorder. Number two,
let's make sure we transform the addiction treatment system. Nobody
should go through eight different treatment centers for care. And three,
let's end addiction stigma. And that's what we're out to
do in Boston this coming walk.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So tell me a little bit about what you do
besides the walks at Shatterproof not just to bring awareness
but also to connect people with help.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So Shatterproof is here to be a trusted guide for
individuals you want to learn about substance use disorder, who
want to maybe struggling with substance use disorder, and we
provide a vast amount of evidence based information on our
website at shatterproof dot org. We also have a website
called treatment at list dot org that helps individuals and
(03:16):
families navigate to the right type of quality treatment. It's
one step up from other substance use disorder treatment locators
where it provides a lot of filters for people to
be looking at. You know, payment methods, Jesus place cover
is covered by my Healthcare. It also has other demographic information,
(03:37):
so it's a really useful, free and confidential website and
resource for families and then of course we mobilize communities
to come together around our walks, but also for volunteer opportunities,
and we give voice to a men medical condition that's
really been in the shadows and we want to bring
(03:58):
it to the forefront.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
You bring up a really point there, because I feel
like people think of addiction as just a mental health thing, like, oh,
I can stop any time I want, But it really
has become medical research has shown that addiction is a
medical problem as well. It is so much more than
just an emotional issue or just a problem that can
be solved by a couple of trips to the therapist.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You're right, it really is. It's a treatable medical condition.
And we know from recent research that we did with
the Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index, that about seventy five percent
of the country does not even understand that it's a
medical condition, which exacerbates and compounds the stigma that already exists.
And so we're here to really help the country understand
(04:43):
that this is a medical condition, that it's treatable with
the right type of quality treatment, and that we have
communities that care about people who are struggling with this disease.
We don't want people to feel isolated in shame and
judgment any longer. I want them to know that there's
a community that cares, and that we are really trying
(05:04):
to get society to care about this issue, including medical
professionals and employers and all different facets of society so
that we can help our loved ones recover.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
The stigma is real. You bring up that point too.
The stigma is absolutely real still to this day when
it comes to people who are struggling with addiction, and
community is important. But I think a lot of people
might be worried about reaching out, or nervous or scared
to reach out because of that stigma. They might think
my neighbor won't understand me, or my family and friends
(05:37):
won't understand what I'm going through. But somebody I was
speaking with recently told me the vast majority of us
know somebody in recovery or struggling with addiction. So if
that's the case, more of us are dealing with this,
then we really ever imagined. So it's hard to have
a stigma when the majority of people are dealing with
some sort of faction of addiction.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
It's really fascinating because I think I find this right
when I start to tell my story about my nephew
or other family members that have had substance use disorder,
I find that it opens up this dialogue with people like, oh,
it's safe for me to say this in front of you,
or it's safe for me to share. And I think
we're dealing with a society that doesn't feel like it's
(06:18):
safe to talk about this, and we've got to stop that.
We've got to stop that shame and that judgment because
as with any other thing that's been stigmatized in this country,
if you remember HIV and AIDS, marriage equality, it wasn't
safe to talk about it. And now when we break
down that stigma, it becomes okay to talk about these things.
And that's what our goal is, is to make the
(06:39):
safe to talk about. Whether it's in the conference room,
in our communities or around the kitchen table, it's just
so important that we start to make the safe to
talk about.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
You're walking here in Boston at Carson Beach, and this
is going to be quite the affair from what I
can see, So tell us a bit about the walk
and what we can expect.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Absolutely, we hope that everyone comes out October fifth Beach
show up at eight am. But we do have an
entire morning program where it feels it's not just a walk.
We're not just getting there to walk, but it's really
a sense of community. People who've lost a loved one
come and celebrate and honor that loved one. People in recovery,
(07:16):
people who just care about this mission, and people who
are living with substance use disorder are all welcome to
be a part of this because we want people to
know that we are all using our voice to end
this addiction stigma. So we have areas where people can
memorialize their loved one. We have an area for recovery.
We also have community partners, community based organizations that are
(07:41):
in the Boston area that offer resources and help, and
we've invited them to come out and be with us
as well. So we have quite the morning. We've got
hundreds of people already signed up. It's free to participate,
it's free to be with us. It is a fundraising
event if anyone cares to do that, but we really
want as many people out there that day so that
(08:03):
we can show Boston, the country, Massachusetts, you name it,
that there are people who are living with this medical
condition and it's time that we use our voices to
end that addiction stigma.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
So do you need volunteers or what if somebody doesn't
want to walk but they just want to be part
of that community, are they welcome there that day regardless.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Anybody can come out. If you don't want to walk
or you can't walk, you just come and you be
with us. There'll be music, there will be opportunities to
meet other people. There's a great opportunity for volunteering as well.
We welcome volunteers and you can register at shatterproofwalk dot
org to be a volunteer or a participant. Anybody is welcome.
(08:52):
And if you just want to come on down that day,
or walking your dog or you're going out for your
jog and you want to come by and check what's
going out, we welcome that as well.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Yeah, you said it's a fundraiser, So what does the
money go towards when people are donating to Shatterproof.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
So any funds raised from our walks is going right
back into the mission work that we do around transforming
addiction treatment, ending addiction stigma, and creating those educational resources
for society. So it's all going right back to the
mission of the organization.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Okay, good, all right, so let's go over the details
really quickly again. When, where, why, how, so on and
so forth.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Saturday, October fifth, Carson Beach, eight am is when we open.
We will be doing an official warm up with Barrie's Gyms,
who is going to get us all ready to go,
And our official walk start time is at nine thirty
in the morning, but we welcome everybody to come on
out around eight because there's so much to do, so
many people to meet, so many activities that we'll have
(09:50):
before we start to walk and show Boston that we
are walking to end addiction stigma.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
And how long is the walk? By the way, are
we talking like ten miles or like a mile? And
an how far are we going?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
We have a couple of different options to you know,
mile out mile back. But if there's a five k version,
if anybody is interested in that, so nothing to treacherous,
and really it's challenged by choice. If you decide you
just want to walk five hundred feet and come on back.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That's your choice.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
I choose that. Well, where can people find out more?
You mentioned the website, but just one more time, give us,
your website, social media, so on and so forth.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Absolutely so to sign up for that walk at shatterproof
walk dot org. Okay, and of course if you need
resources and tools, you can always come to shatterproof dot
org and you can follow us that we are Shatterproof
on Instagram, shatterproof with Facebook as well as.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
LinkedIn and X.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
All Right, well, Kirstin, thank you so much for your time.
Really appreciate it, and all the best with your walk
and I hope it goes fantastically.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Please enjoy the rest of your weekend, have a safe
and healthy one, and join us again next week for
another edition of the show. Nicole Davis from WBZ News
Radio on iHeartRadio
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