My recovery journey is just shy of two years. After an addiction that started at the age of 32, my life completely came to a halt. The only work I’d ever known - working in the finance industry as an investment manager - was no longer possible with the multiple convictions after my arrest. After over a year in jail, I pled into recovery court and was mandated to a short-term inpatient program. I knew I needed to get back to work, and I knew that whatever I was going to do moving forward had to reflect where I had been, but also atone for what I had done.
While in inpatient treatment, I attended a reentry program offering different training and job opportunities. There, I learned about a peer recovery course hosted by Mainstream Recovery that could ultimately lead to becoming certified as a recovery coach. The idea that a horrible experience with problematic substance use could ultimately be turned around and used to help others going through the same thing was appealing and seemed like the right thing to do. Helping others is very rewarding to me, and I really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I have some experience coaching people in the financial sector, and I was very excited to take on this new opportunity in recovery and life coaching.
I took the Mainstream Recovery course in July of 2022, and that is when I learned about the basics of Recovery Coaching and Ethical Considerations using the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) curriculum. Mainstream team members Sheilah and James were good teachers with fundamental knowledge and experience in Substance Use Disorder and with helping others through their recovery journey. The classes covered modules such as using empowering language and amplifying multiple pathways of recovery. They also had a perspective on the other side of addiction - the recovery side.
Overall, the most important skill I gained during that course was listening. The ability to hold space for someone else as they walk on their journey is very important. You can’t talk anyone out of addiction but with enough space and support, people will come up with their own solutions. Through lived experience and now formal education and knowledge, a peer can offer assistance where wanted or needed.
Shortly after the course, I disconnected a bit. The pressing need to find instant work was coming but after speaking with Mainstream team member Kelly, I saw the importance of experience through practice. Working under Kelly’s supervision, my internship with Mainstream had me reaching out directly and talking with people who needed recovery support. That gave me the confidence and tools needed to be effective and successful as a Peer Recovery Coach. Ultimately, that gave me the experience to pursue my current position as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist.
In my current position, I work with clients referred from the Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCP&P). I work with a population whose goal is to retain custody of their children and embrace recovery. For them, the stakes are even higher.
With almost a month in my new job, I find it still important to stay engaged with Mainstream Recovery, assisting in peer recovery and community service while also maintaining my own sobriety for good.
For me, the stakes are even higher.