My Story and Struggles
My name is Traci and I have been an addict for 15 years. I have been clean for four years of that 15. I have lived my whole life in Grand Rapids, MI and made a personal decision to not 
relocate when I made the decision to get clean. I decided that no matter where I lived I would always be faced with temptations and that I needed to be strong enough to deal with them. Even though I have not used for years now, I know that I will always be an addict. The minute that I start to believe that I no longer suffer from the disease of addiction, that is the minute that the door starts to open on a relapse. Relapse is something I know all too well about. About two years into my sobriety I thought that I could use a few times without consequences, and needless to say it turned into about three months of using. Without help I would not have stopped. I am blessed to have a strong recovery support network that includes a peer support, with whom I can truly be honest with about the good, bad and ugly. I’ll be the first to admit that recovery is not easy and it is not the picture that many rehabs paint for addicts coming in for the first time. I know that I thought that once I got sober that everything else in my life would get better and things would fall into place. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Not only were their emotional and social issues I had to deal with. I also had to deal with the wreckage from my past. That included criminal charges, lots of debt, poor credit, and employers who were unwilling to hire me due to my criminal record. Another big shock to me was that I was broke.” When I was using I would spend hundreds a day on drugs, so how can I be broke now that I am sober.” I asked myself. The answer was that I was no longer stealing, begging family members for money that I wasn’t going to ever pay back, and committing a variety of criminal acts. There were plenty of days that I questioned whether being sober was really paying off. The one person who really pulled me through it was my Peer Support. Knowing that I was not alone and that other people had struggle with these same thoughts and feelings helped. What helped more was seeing how far she had come. I realized at that point that I wanted to be a Peer Support so that I could help other addicts who were struggling the way I had. I decided then to go back to school and get my degree. While going to school, I also attended community sponsored classes on advocacy, standing up for your rights, and other topics that I thought would not only help me but that I could use to help others. I currently have my Addiction Studies Certificate, one year to go on my Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and then I plan to complete my Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Everyone’s Addiction is Unique
While everyone’s addiction is different in many ways, the one thing that unites us is that we are all addicts. While I have a great relationship with my counselors, they will never truly understand how it feels to be an addict. As a recovering addict entering treatment, you have to start your life over. That means giving up all of your friend, hang-outs, and old behaviors. That is a lot to ask of anyone. Having a peer support offers the recovering addict at least one person in the beginning that they can be honest, open and truthful with, without the fear of judgment. It also provides an outlet to talk about the past with someone who understands. As a peer support, I want to be able to provide clients not only with emotional support but also connect them with services offered in their community. In Grand Rapids there are lots of resources to help people in recovery adjust to their new lifestyle, make new friends, find new places to spend time and health habits to fill their time. Over the years I have also gathered
resources on jobs that are willing to work with people in recovery, housing options, budgeting tips, and emergency help for just about any situation. There are a lot of resources available if you know where to look. While sobriety is always the goal, relapse is part of recovery and I don’t believe in punishment or lectures for slip ups. Instead I think that they are moments that we can reflect on and learn from. A big moment for me was after my relapse, realizing that I never wanted to be “that person” again. I looked honestly at myself with the help of others and figured out what lead me back, why I couldn’t stop for so long, and what to do to prevent it next time. Relapses can be a valuable learning tool in recovery, but they can also be a point of no return. I add this last part because it is never a good idea to push your limits and see if you can control your addiction or even try to use sporadically. That’s what made us addicts in the first place.
Treatment Should be Tailored to the Individual
While NA and AA are not for everyone, myself included, they can be great tools for others. I think that group meetings can be a place to form new relationships with other people who have been down similar paths, but can also be dangerous to someone in early recovery. Many people attend these meeting because they are court ordered to, not because they want help. Everyone is not truly seeking the same goal, and hanging out with the wrong people from these groups can cause setbacks in your personal recovery. Another point worth mentioning about group meetings is that everyone is in a different point in their recovery. While I do believe in the saying, “To keep what you have, you must give it away.” Some of these meetings consist of glorified story telling of how much someone was using or how it felt and how they miss the feeling. These memories can be triggers for many people. If you do chooses to go to group meetings, find one that works for you! In most area’s a wide variety of meeting styles and settings and topics are offered. Try out different group meetings before setting on one. Mentoring is truly very rewarding, which is why I aim to become a Peer Support, but remember before you can help someone else you must help yourself first.
While a peer support alone is not ideal in my opinion, working with both a Licensed Counselor and a Peer Support is a great combination for success. I am looking forward to starting a career in which I can help other and give back to others who are in need. Along 
with my addiction, like many addicts, I also suffer from a co-occurring mental disorder. Getting my mental health stabilized was a huge step in achieving long term recovery as well.
One article I found is listed below and goes in depth as to why the Peer support Relationship is so beneficial. The flow chart that is in the article covers a lot of common issues that addicts face when first becoming sober and shows how a Peer Support can help clients transition through these issues that could potentially become road blocks to full recovery.
Why Does Peer Support Work? Change Mechanisms Underlying Mental Health Peer Support
I would love to hear anyone else’s story of their recovery and offer any advice or feedback that I can. I also am always open to other people’s opinions on what help and didn’t help them in achieving long term sobriety. You can also reach me by email at trvorel24@gmail.com with any personal questions or suggestions.
REFERENCES AND RELATED SITES
Vu, Huyen. “Why Does Peer Support Work? Change Mechanisms Underlying Mental Health Peer Support.” Peers for Progress. N.p., 27 Aug. 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://peersforprogress.org/pfp_blog/why-does-peer-support-work-change-mechanisms-underlying-mental-health-peer-support/>.
peersupportforaddicts 