How a Strong Community and Sense of Purpose Can Help Break the Chains of Addiction

It is impossible to know exactly why recovery from substance use becomes possible after other attempts failed. For Jeff, success finally came after he was incarcerated for the fourth time. 

Coming from a family with a history of alcoholism and addiction, Jeff had spent the better part of his life using substances to get through daily life. He didn’t know anything different. He’d cycled in and out of jail for 15 years, but the charges were more serious this time. On top of that, his mental health was suffering. He was depressed and lost.

Jeff jumped on an opportunity to take part in a long-term recovery program, even though he admits his motivation was primarily to get out of jail.

A Focus on Helping Others and a Strong Community

At the recovery program, a counselor prompted Jeff to consider his skills and motivations, which made him the most satisfied and proud. Reflecting on jobs he held in the past, Jeff was able to zero in on one thing that always made him feel good—helping others. After he completed the year-long recovery program, he took a career in peer counseling, using his experience with addiction and recovery to aid others in their attempts to change their lives.

Then, during the early days of the pandemic, he hit a setback. The state agency that approves applications for positions like Jeff’s was working through a backlog of applications, and once they caught up, they rejected Jeff’s application due to his criminal record. He was going to lose his job. 

In this moment of crisis, Jeff knew his sobriety was at risk. He sought support from the community in CHESS Health’s Connections app, a digital tool that reinforces coping and recovery skills he recommended to his clients in recovery. “I reached out, and somebody talked me through it,” Jeff said. “I don’t know what would have happened that day without it.”

Bolstered by that interaction, Jeff went to work and discovered that the organization he was working for was going to bat for him. His job was secure. Shortly after that, he took a position as a peer engagement specialist for CHESS Health, working for the same Connections app that helped him stay on his path.

Just Listen and Reassure

“I love what I do,” Jeff said.  Jeff interacts with individuals in the community through the Connections app and leads virtual support meetings. He understands how difficult it can be to take the first steps, even through an app, even when you don’t have to identify yourself. He encourages people who are hesitant or unsure to attend virtual meetings and just listen. There is no requirement to have the camera on or to participate.

“We’re just grateful that you’re here, and hopefully you hear something that keeps you coming back,” he said.

Jeff said the comment that sparks someone to stay engaged with recovery can come from anyone in a group, not just the facilitator. Recently, a man who joined one of his meetings for the first time shared that he had been in recovery for seven days, and it wasn’t going well. He wasn’t working and felt isolated and alone. As the man opened up about what he was going through, the group worked its magic.

“The rest of the meeting supported him. I remember sitting back and listening to everyone go back and forth, and I left that meeting with such a feeling of hope,” Jeff said. “I could tell that he got exactly what he needed at that point in time.” And even better? Jeff said that man came back the next day. 

Recovery is Not a Straight Line

Jeff knows all too well that recovery is a journey and rarely a straight line. He wasn’t always the easiest person to deal with in the early days of his recovery, and he reflects on that when he encounters others who have their walls up. “We all want ‘A students,’ people who just come in and get it,” he said. “That’s just not real. Those aren’t the people that need us.”

In honoring Jeff’s remarkable commitment to his own recovery and his unwavering dedication to helping others, we celebrate not only his journey of resilience and transformation but also the profound impact he has on individuals who share similar struggles. His story serves as a powerful reminder that with determination, support, an understanding community, and a strong sense of purpose, it is possible to overcome challenges and inspire hope in those around us. Jeff is truly a Recovery Hero.