What helped me most on my path to recovery was the practice of trusting myself again.

Recovery means a chance to find and reconnect with myself. To try to be a better, healthier version of myself each day. To keep moving forward, growing, and trying... perfection is not possible, but improvement is... and it is okay that it is not linear. As long as there is effort, that is what is important.  I choose to work in the recovery field to provide hope to those who feel there is none. To be a glimmer of light in a tunnel of darkness... to let people know they are not alone. To those who are struggling with their recovery: I see you, I see your pain... you are not in this alone, let me support you. There is hope... we can find it together.”

- Christina H. Certified Peer Specialist, BHN Crisis

Recovery means a new lease on life – a chance to live the life you want for yourself. 

Going through my own addiction struggles, I realized how many people were in need of connection and basic human kindness, and how powerful of a medicine that was for me when I needed it most for my recovery. The hardest part of the journey is the first part; realizing we have an addiction, choosing to take action to change, and following through with this change with our hearts and our bodies. Once you’ve made a dedicated choice to embrace your recovery journey, that path becomes uniquely your own.

- Kiley, Recovery Coach

Recovery to me means not just being able to stay clean and sober—recovery means being able to find the joy in life again while staying clean and sober. It means learning how to handle everyday struggles and problems without feeling the need to escape or cope with a substance. It gets better. 

Time really does heal. There were many times I fell or relapsed and felt completely hopeless, but one thing I always had was perseverance. I kept fighting and trying time and again. Even after relapses, I took a new piece of information with me—another tool to use. Keep getting up and trying again. Relapse isn’t failure, it’s just another obstacle.

- Recovery Coach Participant

Recovery to me is the process by which I repair relationships, learn to love myself, and begin to realize my full potential. 

Meeting my recovery coach for the first time gave me real hope that recovery is possible. She has become an idol, sincere friend, and the best decision I've made. She's a huge reason for my success. Allow someone to help you find the light—it's always darkest before the dawn.

- BHN Hope Center Participant

To me, recovery means becoming who I was supposed to be before the world got a hold of me. Drugs and alcohol became my solution—I used them to numb the pain and frustration of living. Recovering from the shell I became meant going back to where it all started and growing up all over again. 

Don’t give up. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s worth it. It may get uncomfortable, but you’ve got to do the uncomfortable things. Move a muscle, change a thought. If I’m feeling stuck, I do something I haven’t done before or in a while. If I can’t get a thought out of my head, I add more stuff in there to push it out. Being in recovery myself showed me how important and beneficial it is to others. I do it for my own recovery, and it’s become something natural. Being a recovery coach doesn’t feel like a job—I get to do what I love all day long. What gives me hope is seeing the victories in others’ lives. It’s a great feeling and motivates me to keep going. Serving others has been a greater service to myself than I ever expected it to be.

- John, Recovery Coach