Unlocking the Power of Lived Experiences in Peer Support

Welcome to another episode of Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories, where we delve into the inspiring and transformative world of addiction recovery. In today's episode, we're shedding light on the indispensable role of peer support in the journey toward lasting sobriety. There are time-honored 12-step programs like AA and NA and non-12-step groups like SMART Recovery and SOS, but peer support comes in various forms, each catering to the unique needs of individuals in recovery. The growing influence of Recovery coaches and online support platforms also revolutionizes how we connect and heal. Peer support is the lifeblood of addiction recovery, offering emotional sustenance, practical guidance, and a powerful sense of community. It fosters an environment of increased accountability and bolsters self-esteem, empowering individuals to take charge of their lives and navigate the complex recovery Join us today as we explore the many facets of peer support and how its integration into recovery programs can make the road to sobriety a more manageable and fulfilling journey for all. So grab a seat, tune in, and embark on the enlightening and empowering conversation together. Today, an extraordinary guest is on the show to expound on this subject, Cheryl Brown Merriweather, the VP and Executive Director of the International Center for Addiction and Recovery Education, ICARE, is our podcast guest today. With over 2 decades of experience in corporate HR management at AT&T, addiction recovery awareness, and adult education, Cheryl brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role at ICARE. She oversees ICARE's three divisions: Strategic Sobriety Workforce Solutions, International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches, and NET Institute. Cheryl is also involved with Project Opioid. Her work in addiction and recovery has won her awards including Bambu HR and Success Magazine recognition. She has also written for Fortune Magazine, HR Executive Magazine, and other top-tier publications. I welcome you, Ms. Merriweather, to the show. So let's get started. Can you share with us your definition of peer support and how it can be an effective tool for recovery?

That's a great question. Well, let's see. My definition of peer support begins with first looking at the definition of peers in general, you know, common definitions of peers refer to people that have similar interests or other things in common. You know, when peers come together in community, one of the greatest and primary benefits is that they are able to influence the beliefs and behaviors of others. So when we talk about recovery peer support, In my definition, it's really just when people use their own personal lived recovery experiences to help others so that they can, you know, navigate their own journey and achieve their own goals. There are different types of peer support. For example, people can share personal experiences relating to the youth of use of mental health services, or if not their personal experiences, I know in some states they allow peers or encourage peers to participate based on the experiences that they have with others, family members or partners, those types of things. But at the end of the day, they are all connected and committed to sharing these lived experiences, these personal experiences as it relates to either mental health and/or substance use disorders and treatment. They all exist to bring together people to share, to support, and to help, and that's really what it is for me. It's about creating that space, a safe space or safe place or safe community where people can feel accepted, where they can feel understood, where they can come to get help and, and support, particularly for those folks struggling with substance use disorder. It's people willing to help others engage, and we provide education because we want to show up to help folks pursue and overcome their personal struggles with substance misuse other unhealthy coping behaviors. We want them to achieve sobriety, and those things can be best achieved when individuals are part of a recovery community, and the community is composed of peers, or people who have those similar life experiences, because it is those folks who are in the best position to help others make the long-term lasting behavioral changes changes that are needed to abstain, to achieve sobriety, and to maintain long-term recovery.

How should peer support be viewed compared to traditional therapy?

That's a really good question. So traditional therapy is where you will find counselors and therapists, and those folks are licensed and trained, and they're experienced clinical practitioners. They serve a vitally important and greatly needed role in the behavioral health continuum of care. Unfortunately, there's just not enough of them to meet the need that exists today. So in response to your specific question, peer support should, in my opinion, not be viewed as something that would take the place of traditional therapy. I like to say that peer supporters can complement and supplement the traditional services. You know, the number of formally trained peers is growing nationally, and they are a force multiplier. The peers play a vital role in the evolution of addiction treatment, recovery support in the United States. Another thing that I'll briefly mention here is that counselors and therapists who are working within the traditional treatment systems, well, some of them have told me that they are sometimes restricted in terms of the things that they can say with their clients or their patients. So, as a result, when we think about this through a culture lens, or culture perspective, if you will, the care providers working within these institutionalized, and let's, let's say it, commercialized corporate entities, well, they're not able to bring their entire transparent and authentic selves to their roles, and that as a result will cause them to sometimes lack the energy or the commitment. Again, the word authenticity. They cannot be themselves fully when they are working to meet the needs of hurting people. And of course, you know, there are countless laws and rules and regulations that restrict the use of volunteers in the therapeutic system. Systems and things like confidentiality and privacy laws, the need to focus on liability and risk management and things like that. So those individuals who, because of their life experience, well, the peers have a passion and a commitment to help these folks. Again, some of them have personally navigated through those systems of care and have worked with clinical professionals, so they understand the barriers and the trade-offs, right? So they understand that those folks are sometimes simply barred from helping at a level that people really need, and that's where the peers themselves can step up and step in and again, complement and supplement what exists within the traditional treatment system. Systems, the peers themselves exist as living proof of the reality and transformative power of long-term recovery. And the peers possess firsthand knowledge. Again, they've been there, so they know how to navigate those systems, and they are just there to help others connect with the peer groups connect with and access the services, and they know what exists within the recovery-oriented systems of care within the local community. And that's how the two groups can work together to make a difference in the lives of hurting people.

What are some benefits of peer support and how does it enhance recovery?

That's a good question. Let's see, let's start with the basic. First and foremost, peers are able to influence an individual's choices and consequently their associated behaviors as it relates to their use of drugs or alcohol, both in terms of the amount and the frequency of substance misuse on the way, while they're on their way to achieving and maintaining their sobriety. So that's the first thing. Of course, we want to help an individual be intentional and mindful and aware of what they're doing so that we can support them and help them to decrease the frequency and, and amount of, of use of a substance. And we also, as, as peer supporters, are able to help individuals stick with their treatment plan. You know, they just really need help to do that. It's one thing to say to an individual, "Go and do this," but it's a totally different thing when you are able to walk with someone while they are on their way to doing what is necessary to fulfill the obligation or meet the requirements of the treatment plan. So that is a very important part of what we do also, and that will help the individual be more likely to be successful in sticking with the plan and being able to successfully achieve their goals. The other thing, let's see, individuals can learn from the peers. They do that on an individual one-on-one level. We call it peers. Others may call it a sponsor. Others do this as part of a group, but whether it's individual, one-on-one, or part of a group, it is incredibly effective in helping the individual achieve and maintain their long-term sobriety. Over time, folks working with the peers learn to respect and appreciate them for what they have accomplished, which means that I as an individual can learn from those folks because doggone it, they've been in my shoes and they are a little further along in their own journey than I am. But seeing them, that they have accomplished what I hope and desire to accomplish, well, that serves to instill within me a genuine sense of hope. So the peers are someone who can help someone like me, as viewed through the eyes of someone just learning to connect with the peer, they see the peer as someone who they can count on to help them accomplish their sobriety goal. And that person then becomes a friend, right? You know, it's interesting, the U.S. Surgeon General recently published a report about the dangers of isolation. And we know that addiction can be extremely isolating. So the relationship between the peers, well, it helps to establish long-term and even lifelong friendships because in these relationships people are transparent and they are vulnerable and they demonstrate genuine empathy. Empathy, and in many cases will be willing to sacrifice, make sacrifices for peers that others within their circle of influence perhaps will not do. And I think lastly and most importantly, peers know how to hold individuals accountable for their actions, and we're able to do that in ways that folks often don't get from other forms of treatment. You know, a counselor or a therapist can say, go do, but they're not always able to follow up and hold the individual accountable, at least not in real time, and provide the support that is needed to help hold the individual accountable as they're sometimes facing difficult choices. So Peer support in addiction recovery is unique in that regard because the peers are able, with permission, and that we have an agreement, right, among the participants in this agreement, that it's okay for us to provide a form of peer pressure that is understood that it's solely focused on helping the individual abstain from substance use. So therefore, we are working together as a team to help the individual achieve their personal sobriety goals. That's what makes it so effective and so powerful.

How can peer support help individuals struggling to connect with others or lacking a solid support system?

You know, it's sad, but it's also very true that not everyone has a strong or supportive family system. Addictive patterns of behavior strains and often destroys close personal relationships over time, and as a result, peers are not able or excuse me, peers are able to do for an individual what their own family is not able to do. Maybe they're not trained in how to handle an individual struggling with a substance use disorder, or maybe they've tried and failed repeatedly to properly support the individual struggling with a substance use disorder, or maybe the family system is contributing more to the addictive patterns that we see reflected through the life of the individual struggling to overcome the substance use disorder or the addictive behavior. So when it is true in those circumstances that the individual cannot get the help that they need either from their family or from others in their environment, maybe they're part of a social group or they may be in college and they have roommates, or it's fraternity, sorority groups that are contributing to some of their unhealthy choices and behaviors. Well, if the individual is able to connect with a recovery community to assist them, the peers that have been trained and are qualified and knowledgeable and experienced. Well, these are the folks that can step in and step up and are willing to help the individual get on the right path. The peers are sincerely motivated by wanting to help the individual, again, achieve and sustain long-term recovery. They genuinely want what is best for the other person. The individuals who are part of a peer group, well, they achieve a sense of belonging to the group, which is something that they may not otherwise have. You know, as humans, we just sometimes need help to find our place in the world and to figure out what is our purpose, our unique purpose for for being. In many cultures, this foundation is established within a family unit, but when a person lacks the family unit or other close community systems, then being a part of a peer recovery group can help with that. In the peer community, again, we talked about it before, people openly share their stories of resilience, and these are truly inspiring. This allows people to see themselves in the stories of others, which is why I encourage folks to share their story. The connection is personal. It creates a bond among the peers that is long-lasting, if not lifelong lasting, and it provides a sense of purpose and meaning that can come from what is truly often a very messy journey on the road from addiction to recovery.

Can you share practical ways to build community and connection within a peer support group?

The key word here in your question is practical. Can I think of some practical ways to build community and connection within the peer support group. You know, in the work that I do, I talk a lot about psychological safety. Now, you may think that's, or some folks may think that's a clinical term. What the heck is psychological safety? But above all else, it just refers to creating a safe place or a safe space, if you will, where people can feel safe psychologically, emotionally. You know, the people that are here in this space with me accept me. I am not afraid to open up and be transparent. Those are the things that we're talking about when we reference the term psychological safety. You know, we need to create that. It allows people to show up and open up and be willing to share without fear or fear of consequence, negative consequences. So to help with that in a practical sense, some peers and peer group leaders will go out of their way to establish ground rules early in the relationship, whether again the relationship is between individuals or among individuals who are participating as part of a group or a recovery community. So how do we do that? Well, first we lead by example. We set an intention, if you will, to develop positive relationships with others, and we can do that ourselves by being transparent and curious and Self-reflective. Again, as a leader, we are— it is really important for us to lead by example. So I earlier mentioned that it's important to share your story. It may take a while to build up the courage, but once you do, you find out how powerful those stories are. So I share my personal, you know, stories of appropriately. I share my thoughts and my feelings. I share experiences and encourage others to do so as a way to facilitate engagement. You know, it's about, through the communication, showing that we respect one another. We are also able to protect and guard boundaries. You know, if an individual says, I don't want to go there, I don't want to talk about that, well, in that time, in that season, we need to respect that. There may be another time when an individual is ready to open up and share about that. So again, that's how we build trust. We talk about protecting confidentiality. Things that are shared in the group are in intended to stay within the group unless there has been agreement otherwise. An individual may say, "I don't mind if you share that with others," but absent that, as a practical matter, what is said in the group stays within the group. You know, you find doing this work that small things matter, even down to, do we arrive on time, do we stay for for the duration of the meeting? And if you're not going to be there, do you know who to call or contact to say, "Hey, something's come up. I'm not going to be able to make it"? Those things may seem small and insignificant, but when you're forming a group, you want to be able to trust that people respect the practical things that the group has established as a way to do the business that they do. By doing so, we create the foundation of trust. And as I think all of us know, if we've been in a relationship where trust was violated, it causes sometimes irreversible and permanent harm in terms of relationships. So as a practical matter, we are intentional. We focus on doing the work that we need to do to create and respect trust and boundaries and those types of things to protect from violations and hold people accountable if they do those things, if they do violate those things that we have agreed to honor collectively. And those are, again, little things, but little things matter, particularly in the early stages of a relationship, because if we do those things well, then we will be able to build upon them and move forward and do the hard work that is really essential to helping individuals achieve their long-term sobriety and recovery goals.

How do you approach facilitating a peer support group?

Well, good question. How do you approach facilitating a peer support group? Well, first and foremost, I, and I think all others who do this type of work, realize that this is a very serious responsibility, one which should not be taken lightly or undertaken lightly, if you will. You know, ideally, facilitators should have first successfully navigated their own personal recovery journey. I mean, that's what it's about, right? We're sharing our lived experience and we're helping others to pursue their own personal recovery journey. So on our road to recovery, we have as participants sat in on other groups, uh, usually with different types of facilitators who have different styles, and you get a sense of what are the best practices. And we like to model those best practices that we have seen others use. And so it is very important that we've navigated our own journey, gotten a sense of what worked for us, what others have done in terms of their techniques and their approach, approaches that have been successful not only in our lives but in the lives of others. So that's the foundation. And then beyond that, you should, if possible, and really probably necessarily, do this, which is to attend and complete an approved training program that is provided by a credible or reputable organization, and there are some out there. I work for the International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches. We train and certify recovery coaches and addiction awareness facilitators and peers. There are organizations like NAMI out there, the National Alliance for Mental Illness. They have a training program. And then there's the Couple and Center and others out there. So there are many very credible training providers out there, and so I would encourage folks to go through one of those programs. In addition to that, facilitators just have to spend time attending meetings or scheduling meetings for the groups at regular intervals, and they need to be prepared to support the group as a leader for an extended period of time. It can't be a, I'm here this month, but I'm gone next month. But if you're making a commitment to perform as a facilitator in a leadership role, it's very important to schedule regular meetings at predetermined and clearly communicated intervals and to be willing to commit to that and show up and support it for an extended period of time. Doing so helps others plan their life around being able to likewise show up and commit to the process. And again, as is true with other types of leaders, facilitators should respect that there will be different personalities and different cultures and different political and religious types that show up as participants in the group, and they will have different lifestyle choices, and that's okay. We respect that. We welcome that. We open our doors and invite. Come one, come all. Now, knowing that people— not everyone is a good fit for every type of group. It should be up to the individual to decide if this group or that group is a good fit for them personally, but we should set the environment that makes it known that we welcome all individuals from where they are to begin to take the journey to move forward. You know, we must never forget that recovery is hard, hard work, and it is is primarily the commitment and the, the determination of the facilitator to care for, to nurture, and to protect the relationships in the group first. So we want to strengthen connections and make it so that the group is not just a group, but it is our group. It is our recovery community, and for some, it's our family. So that is how I approach supporting, creating and supporting and maintaining long-term a peer support group.

Can you speak to any challenges or potential drawbacks to peer support and how to address them?

Well, as is true with everything else in life, there are challenges and there are potential drawbacks to peer support. So in the previous question, I did comment upon about the diversity factor, right? So peer support groups, networks, they are extremely diverse. And so for that reason, it's a good idea that people do take the time to try to find out about the values and the practices of a particular group before joining it. You know, just because people have been through similar life experiences, well, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are someone that you'll click with. So, success in peer recovery support, again, I don't mean to be repeating myself, but it is based almost entirely on relationships. So, and relationships are hard, so taking the time to find a person or find a group that you feel comfortable with is worth the time and the effort that you put into it to do so to make that the person you're going to be working with or the group is a good fit for you. Remember, peer support is not an alternative to primary care, but it should be used to complement and supplement those other forms of clinical treatment. People that join peer recovery groups, as in alternative to formal treatment, well, gosh, they may cause harm to themselves or to others, but they may not be ready to be a part of a group. They may have experienced trauma in their background, or, you know, they may still be in, you know, relapsing or, or using substances. So they may just not be at a place where they ready to, to be a part of the group in a healthy way that supports themselves and others at that particular point in time. It is not uncommon for individuals to get triggered from some of the experiences or some of the things that are shared among the individuals who are a part of the group, and they made their for either need to withdraw themselves, or unfortunately, sometimes it does become necessary for an individual to be asked to withdraw from the group for a season and go and seek more individualized or formal treatment services. It just is that way, and again, people who are part of these groups over extended periods of time, and leaders who have been formally trained, they are able to recognize and meet people where they are and appropriately guide individuals to either continue as part of the group or as part of the peer relationship, or to help them connect with other resources that may exist within within the community or through other, or other forums so that they can get the help that they need. And that is the ultimate goal, is it not? For us to be able to provide the support and help people to get what they need. And if not with us, with others who are qualified to support them. And those, I think, are some of the greatest challenges and most potential drawbacks. But the good news is we know how to address them and deal with them and help others do so as well.

In your opinion, how can mental health professionals work collaboratively with peer support groups to enhance the recovery process?

I love this question. This is one of my favorite questions. You know, I am a believer in collaboration and cooperation and under the behavioral health umbrella, which, you know, it's a kind of a clinical term, but it basically recognizes that, and the statistics bear this out, that approximately 46 to 50% of individuals who struggle with mental health issues also need help and support with substance use disorders as well. So I tell people that mental health and substance use disorders are two sides of the same coin. Clinically, they are referred to as dual diagnosis often. So peers are a vital component of mental health services. They are recognized, and in many states, they are licensed or a part of the mental health clinical treatment team, if you will. So it, it's again the type of thing that we want to encourage for both the substance use disorder and mental health practitioners to recognize the value of the other party and to be willing to work together to take or provide support to individuals, whether they are whether they're coming through the mental health door or whether they're coming through substance use disorder treatment, but we want them to know that they have resources and a team of care providers, clinical and non-clinical, coming from both perspectives. We've already said and established that peers learn best when they are able to hear from others who who have been where they are and traveled the journey that they're traveling on. And increasingly, we realize that even health insurers, in addition to treatment centers and others in the behavioral health arena, they are increasingly seeking to expand the role of peers to assist those who may, again, need that extra help with respect to their misuse of substances. So for this reason, organizations like Mental Health America, I've already mentioned the NAMI, these groups, and iCare of course, the Copeland Center, they are providing training for peers that is recognized, that is because of the quality of training that these organizations provide. You know, peers can be found in all 50 states, as can mental health practitioners and services. So the mental health peers specifically are recognized or licensed and certified at the state level by certification boards around the country, again, and going through that formal state-recognized clinical system, it is required that the peers obtain and complete training. They are also required to document their field experience as well as often sitting for state exams that are administered by the state, and those folks will become credentialed peer recovery specialists that are recognized by the state licensure and treatment boards. But again, outside of that system, we've already talked about the peers who work more so with, in the non-clinical space, right, the support groups and those types of things. So people call these things different names, so that's why I encourage folks, find out what they're called and figure out what you want to be in terms of your aspiration. Do you want the support of clinical folks or do you want the support of a non-clinical group? And what are those groups called in your perspective state? So some call them peer recovery peer specialists, some call them recovery support specialists, Some call them recovery coaches, but regardless of the title, they all model recovery. They all share their knowledge and support individuals to obtain, and the key word here is to maintain, long-term sobriety and recovery in such a way, and it's been so successful that now there is this body of evidence evidence-based, practical, and clinical documentation that supports and now encourages the expansion of this rapidly growing field. Peer supporters are found now in hospitals. They work with veterans and other marginalized or at-risk populations. They work in faith communities, community-based nonprofit organizations. They can be found in prisons. They, they work again either as part of a formal treatment team in a recovery center with the professionals, the therapists, the social workers, and the psychiatrists, but also they work outside of that system of care, but they are all part of what is called a recovery oriented system of care, and the peers are the ones that show up. And oh, by the way, they know how to help those folks connect with things like transportation, basic need, job care services, child care services, financial assistance, or other forms of education, whatever the individual may need to support their long-term recovery. That is how the peers can be a part of that community of care, and it's just a wonderful thing.

And finally, what advice would you give to individuals who may be hesitant to try peer support as a part of their recovery?

Well, let's see, um, advice, a takeaway, I guess it be just try it. Don't be afraid to try, you know, and it's okay to shop around. In other words, and I've mentioned this before, people should visit different groups to see which group is going to be the best fit for them. You, you know, you see, a group of people is just that. It's begins as a collection of individuals, and because it's a collection of individuals, the culture of each group will be different. The personality of each group will be different for that reason. And of course, we know peer groups are organized by every type of classification you can imagine. There, there are groups that organize based upon the subject or the substance, if you will, or the addictive behavior. There are groups for just alcohol. There are groups for women with alcohol. There are groups for behavioral addictions like pornography or gambling or food addiction, if you will. There are groups for families of individuals who struggle with a particular substance or addictive behavior. They are organized by gender, by faith or belief system. They are organized by occupation. There's collegiate recovery groups. There's groups within the legal professional, within the medical profession. There are groups organized by age. There's so many. There is something out there for everyone. Some meet live now that, you know, the pandemic is largely behind us. Some meet only online. So I encourage people, just shop around, give a group a try. If you feel like it's not the right group for you at the right— at this particular time, keep it moving. Look around for another one. Ask for recommendations from people that you trust or that you know, but that know you. They may be able to help guide you and recommend something that would be a good fit for you. And so lastly, it's just trust the process. Recovery takes time. It is hard. It is not easy. It is not pretty. It is painful. Often people will even achieve a level of sobriety, but they may not be in recovery because they have not fully addressed the underlying issues that caused them to misuse substances in the first place. And unless they get down there to that level and do the work, as you hear people say, it's likely just, sadly, unfortunately, just a matter of time before some life event or circumstance will come along that will cause a person to relapse. So it's important to take the time, invest in yourself and your future, and be willing to do the work. And that means you may have to commit to taking the time, shopping around, trying different things. But know that at the end of the day, people are there and willing to help you and to support you. So if you take two steps forward and if you relapse and fall one step back, don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Drowning people, if you throw them a buoy or a life preserver, they're often and almost always willing to reach out and grab it. So that's what the network of trusted peer supporters and the peer recovery community will provide. They will help you get yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. And the outcomes and the rewards are so, so worth it. There are more than 24 million people in this country who self-identify as being in recovery and the peers are there to help that number continue to grow.

Thank you, Ms. Merriweather, for your time, insights, and expertise. As we conclude this inspiring episode of Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories, we hope you've better understood peer support's vital role in addiction recovery, whether through 12-step programs, non-12-step programs, recovery coaches, or online support networks, connecting with others on a similar journey can make the path toward sobriety more manageable and fulfilling. I encourage anyone willing to seek out and engage with peer support networks for continued work to achieve sustainable recovery. Remember, you are not alone. There is a community of empathetic and understanding individuals making growing healing, and thriving all the more possible. Before we sign off, we'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our sponsor, Wish Recovery. Wish Recovery is a luxury dual diagnosis treatment center that provides the highest level of care and support for individuals grappling with addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. Their compassionate team of experts is committed to helping clients discover a renewed sense of purpose and a brighter future. To learn more about their comprehensive treatment programs, visit their website at wishrehab.com. Thank you for joining us for this Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories episode. If you enjoyed our discussion and found value in the insights shared, please consider subscribing to our podcast and sharing it with others who may benefit from hearing these powerful stories of hope and healing. Until next time, thank you.