3/27/2007
Imagine you’re a child, and each time Uncle James comes to visit he promises to take you out for ice cream, but somehow it never actually happens. Each time you see him, your hopes would rise, but still no ice cream. After a while that child simply stops anticipating, however there remains a ray of hope Uncle James will finally come through with more than just a promise. If you can relate to that child’s feelings, then you can appreciate how we consumers have been feeling (hopeless) until now. The Peer Support Movement promises to provide us a major recovery tool, because it provides us with hope for a brighter future and a belief in ourselves.
Had anyone anticipated its sudden success, certain things would have been done differently. .For one thing there would have been better public education on exactly what a Peer Supporter is. If I were ever unfortunate enough to have say, heart disease, I would certainly look for others who have survived the disease. I would ask about, Doctors, Treatment Centers, diet, exercise, I would find out as much as I could from that person regarding heart disease. The Peer Supporter is similar in that our job is to help others going through what we survived.
Since the advent of the study of the human mind, professionals have debated the role empathy plays in the healing process. All we know is that it makes us feel better about ourselves, and provides the motivation for us to become participants in our own recovery. Peer Support is the next step is a system which has been constantly improving itself, and provides a unique basis for all involved to work towards a common goal. Since the majority of those in treatment are dually diagnosed, on May 23rd ‘Visions’ is hosting a conference on IDDT and Peer Support where will be bringing together folks from the substance abuse as well as the mental health arena, from the grass roots to the decision makers.
As we move forward with system transformation, I envision the day when consumers doing well in recovery will be the norm, not the exception. I see a system that sees us not from the stance of what our disease may be, but from the value our experiences have to offer. So let us all look toward a brighter future, work as one applying the basic principles of humanity and respect, assuring recovery for all.
Gerald Butler
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