Options for People Like Me: A Recovery Story
“We’ve become the place people come to when they think there’s nowhere to go,” said Eric.
When Eric got his third driving while intoxicated charge, he also lost his job. He had been drinking for years, but this was the first time he had lost a job due to substance misuse. It led to six months of increased alcohol and drug use that Eric said, “almost landed me homeless.”
“I was just hanging on long enough for my son to graduate high school,” he said.
Eric had moved from Wolfeboro to Ossipee, New Hampshire, to try to escape from his troubles. He was court ordered to see a counselor and was referred to 12-step meetings. Eric stopped drinking and using drugs, and soon got a job, back in Wolfeboro.
“It was the only place that would hire me,” he said. “I was forced to hitchhike for a $10 an hour job for more than two years.”
Day in and day out, Eric made the long commute, but soon, people in town began to offer him rides. Eric was open about his recovery and word spread that he was trying to turn his life around.
“I went from being a town drunk to the community helping me go back and forth to work,” he said.
Service has been a major part of Eric’s recovery, especially since meeting Mitch Yeaton, CEO of White Horse Recovery in Ossipee. When Eric was first getting sober, his options for programs were limited. Eric told him there was a need for more. Yeaton invited Eric to start volunteering which eventually led to a job.
When White Horse Recovery gained access to two buildings in Ossipee formerly occupied by a church, Eric saw this as his chance to help create those supports he knew were so badly needed. Eric said he “got bored one day” and headed over into one of the badly run-down buildings offered by the church.
“I walked into the house and started scrubbing. Before you know it, I had the place somewhat clean,” said Eric. Yeaton told him to keep going and others started coming around offering help.
“The neighbor brought brownies and cookies because they said we were improving the view,” said Eric. “There were a lot of neat little things that got started pretty quickly after that.”
Eric got donated paint. Eastern Propane helped get the heat working again and filled the building’s propane tanks. A neighbor fixed the hot water heater. Green Mountain Furniture donated furniture. Even Eric’s parents, who had not seen him for years, came down from Portland, Maine to work on the building and support his recovery.
“That was the first time they started believing in me,” said Eric.
Eric just kept tackling one project after another, whether it was repairing a hole in the roof or installing a new countertop. The building is now a Recovery Community Center, known as “The Shed”, part of White Horse Recovery Organization’s programs, which provides substance misuse recovery services to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
“It’s not just a recovery center but a community center that deals with recovery,” said Eric. “We‘ve become the place people come to when they think there’s nowhere to go.”
Eric is now the manager of The Shed, and The Shed North, the organization’s location in North Conway, New Hampshire. He’s constantly working on expanding services in the area and finding new ways to reach those who need help. He is working to expand a 24-7 recovery coach center in Memorial Hospital. He is also working with young people at the White Horse Recovery Center, “being real” about the impacts of substance use disorder.
As a recovery coach, Eric sees how important it is for a community to have different recovery options for people who need them. Harbor Care has helped White Horse and The Shed with funding and starting up initiatives and the ability to train more recovery coaches in New Hampshire.
“They equipped us and trained us so we can train other people. It’s a ripple effect,” said Eric.
Even with all the great work that’s being done, Eric said there’s still more to do, especially supporting people who are looking to enter rehab, detox or sober living programs. Since there’s nothing like that in his area, Eric sees people being sent to other counties. He’s like to see those supports in his community.
“I want to make sure there are options for people like me,” said Eric. “Even if it seems impossible, I just keep pushing forward.”
For more info go to http://www.nhrecoveryhub.org and https://harborcarenh.org/peer-recovery-support-services