Addiction Professional September 9, 2019
Matt Conway and T.J. Murphy started RecoverYdia (a hybrid of “recovery” and “media”) as “our response to a suffering world.” They want to counteract the loneliness that has enveloped a technology-connected world by using that world to share moments of personal triumph.
Murphy says he and Conway have set out to produce 300 to 400 video narratives of individuals’ recovery, whether from addiction, trauma, serious injury or other cause.
Last fall, they organized an event on the eve of Veterans Day in which veterans gathered to share their experiences.
In August, Conway and Murphy organized 10,000 Candles for New Hampshire, at six locations across the state on the same night. Recovery advocates, first responders and individuals in recovery were among the speakers at the sites, and attendees ranged from field professionals to persons in need of services. Around 1,000 people participated.
They use Facebook and YouTube to share the videos they’ve collected.“Social media is a powerful platform,” Murphy says. “Narratives are a powerful way to deliver the message. Being interviewed is cathartic.”