The Path of Recovery
An important part of recovery is owning your story. Where you’ve come from, how you’ve gotten to today, and where you’re going. This is true for addiction or substance abuse, and also for mental health. Anytime we are offered the chance to speak to others about Paradise Center, we use that opportunity for peer leaders to tell not only about their roles at Paradise Center, but also their own stories.
Last night, we spoke again at University of Texas at Arlington to a group of social work students. Each semester, at the invitation of two practicing social workers who supervise field placement students, we take a small group who want to go and share.
It was the first opportunity for one of our peer leaders, I.I, to tell her story to a group. She spoke so truthfully about her experience of hearing scary male voices that drove her out of her home to walk for hours on end. She was only 16 when the voices began. She’s not yet 30 years old, but has had four long-term hospitalizations at a state facility.
She’s been living on her own over a year now and has been working hard at staying productive. Paradise Center has been an important part of her recovery. In the safe, supportive environment, she is given opportunities to use her strengths, to develop new skills, and to contribute to the programs that make up our Center. Although she still hears voices, she is better able to ignore them. And it’s not as scary for her anymore.
Last night, she was surprised that she cried while telling her story. But she doesn’t regret sharing so much with the group. She said she had never told anyone some of the details she shared with the group. She learned the valuable lesson that things that are hidden and secret have more power to make us feel ashamed, different, embarrassed.
At the end of our presentation, one of the students spoke up and said that she wanted to honor them for their courage and willingness to share.
Last night was important for I.I. Through her courageous sharing, she is owning her story and discovering her path of recovery.
