Nonprofit group pushes to help New Yorkers who get sober to adjust to new social life

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during 2020 more than 90,000 people nationwide died of a drug overdose with 2,000 of those overdoses taking place in New York City.

News 12 Staff

Feb 10, 2022, 3:31 AM

Updated 970 days ago

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A nonprofit group is pushing to give New Yorkers who have gotten sober a fighting chance at finding and maintaining a new social life, which can be one of the most difficult challenges.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during 2020 more than 90,000 people nationwide died of a drug overdose with 2,000 of those overdoses taking place in New York City.
Annie O'Donoghue and Andrew Dong are living sober and are determined to do so while living a vibrant social life. The two say it was important to surround themselves with people who knew what they were going through.
"Drinking was one of things I turned to but it really was never enough," says Dong. "A lot of sobriety is experiencing new uncomfortable things."
O'Donoghue and Dong found their new lifestyle with the help of a loving mother who lost her child to addiction. Eve Goldberg's loss of her son, Isaac, in 2014 helped her find the strength to start the BIGVISION Foundation.
"Literally, a couple of weeks after he passed away, I said I know what I want to do to honor Isaac's life," says Goldberg.
BIGVISION connects the sober community through social activities. Goldberg and her team plan weekly events such as rock climbing and taking a swing on the flying trapeze.
O'Donoghue and Dong say the activities helped them meet new people and make lifelong friends.
Goldberg says helping others is the best way to honor her son's legacy.
BIGVISION's goal is to reinvent addiction recovery.