For Flower1979, the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and the reality that her addiction had become unmanageable hit at the same time. She was at her lowest point, struggling with the fentanyl-related deaths of several people who had been close to her. “I was hanging out with sick people, and I was sick, too,” she said.
Just as she became desperate for help, Flower1979 contracted Covid and ended up quarantined in a hotel for two weeks. About halfway through her stay, she realized that she’d been sober for multiple days, which inspired her to think about making some big changes – finally getting into recovery and finding a new job.
She began outpatient therapy, working with a counselor, and was drug-free for about a month when she was introduced to the Connections app. Flower1979 immediately found inspiration in the app’s Thought of the Day. “I would take a moment to take a deep breath and soak in the day’s quote. I would write them down and post them on my computer at work, looking at them all day long,” she said.
But it was the community that really made the difference for her. “I was on Connections a lot at the beginning of my recovery. Connections was like my best friend,” she said. “The Connections app helped me at the loneliest points of my life.” With the support of the peer engagement team and other members on the app, Flower1979 also learned how to set her boundaries and fiercely protect them to keep herself strong in recovery.
Today, five years after she first joined, Flower1979 regularly logs on to attend virtual meetings and participate in the community. As an alumni, she enjoys sharing her experiences and her positive spirit with others. “It feels good to give a boost to other people in recovery, by providing positive affirmations and feedback. I like the unity of it all. We can all be there for each other and help keep each other on track.”
Voices of Recovery shares authentic stories from individuals who use CHESS Health’s digital recovery solutions. Participants voluntarily share their recovery journey and how our digital support solutions have helped them throughout. All stories are published using aliases and with explicit permission from each individual, and participants choose their own images that either represent their story or resonate with them as part of their recovery journey.
