from Gerald Butler
9/9/07
The main reason I talk so much about the Band, has less to do with our playing gigs, than it does with the practice of Peer Support. For instance: Lamasa, (keyboard player) has always dreamed of playing in a band. I thought that by putting a band together, she would be happy. Because we are about Peer Support, there are times when at rehearsals we put our instruments down and just talk. Like many of us, Lamasa has had many people in her life who have made pledges of assistance with recovery, only to be let down. After a life of broken dreams it is only human nature to become leery of those offering help. There are dedicated folks working in the system, but if there is no trust, their efforts are for nothing and we do not do as well as we could in recovery. Consumers must learn to trust the system again.
As Peer Specialists it is our job; (in fact we are in the best position) to walk the path of recovery, side by side with other consumers. We are neither Case Managers nor Therapists; however we can help show others: 1) the role these people play in his/her life, 2) how best to utilize them in the recovery process. Another important task we do is provide consistency, without which there can be no trust. Having been in the same position as those we wish to help, we have an innate sense of the important issues (many of which seem minor), that play a huge role in another’s life. By practicing Peer Support in the band, I am encouraging Lamasa to again have trust in the system, and seek out those who believe in her ability to recover.
After ‘The Letter’ I went into a semi-depression and had no idea how to get right. It was so out of character for me that even I had no logical explanation. What mattered most was not what people thought about me, but how I felt about myself. My fire was out and I felt as though there was no one to re-light it, not even myself. It seems that when I was at my lowest point, out of the blue I got a letter from Dave Lalumia (Director/ Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards) telling me I am the recipient of the 2007 Partners in excellence Award. After I came down from the ceiling, it occurred to me, ‘This is system Transformation in the flesh’. They had more faith and trust in me, than I had in myself. If I, (with all my shortcomings) am deserving of such a prestigious honor, that means there are literally thousands of consumers across the State who merit just such tribute.
This is a whole new day and age in the treatment and recovery field and much depends on how well we work together. The biggest difference between today and the past is that we now have administrators who truly believe in our recovery. We must seek them out and put our trust in them. We must also believe in ourselves because without that belief the dedicated folks have nothing to work with. We must learn to forgive ourselves, and to keep moving on. It is not the mistakes we make but how well we recover from our slips. I envision the day when ‘Recovery’ will no longer be a rarity, but a given. There is no greater endeavor for mankind than when a bunch of folks toss their egos and differences aside and work as one to save others lives.
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