Honoring National Recovery Month with Pathfinder Stories

By Grace Stopher | September 14th, 2026

Lisa R.

In recovery for 5 years (September 6th, 2021)

What does recovery mean to you? Everything!

What does peer support mean to you? Relatability, understanding, and the "me too" connection that happens!

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? I get to use my past as an asset to help others!

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? I’d encourage them to find a God of their understanding, get a sponsor, get going on the steps, sign up for a service position and show up to meetings.

Kenneth P.

In recovery for 7 years

What does recovery mean to you? Recovery means to me the opportunity to become everything that drugs took from me—an opportunity to become the person I was meant to be, the opportunity to let those whom I have harmed heal as well.

What does peer support mean to you? Peer support means to me an opportunity to give back and provide others with hope and resources to take control of their lives and find that they are worth love and succeeding in life just as much as anyone else.

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? Maybe if someone I could relate to showed me I could transfer my skills to doing something positive in my life, and that I can reshuffle the cards of life; I’m not stuck with the hand I thought I was delt, that I had a choice and the power to change—I might not have stayed in my spiral of destruction as long as I did.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? You’re worth it and YES you can.

Le Anne H.

In recovery for 15 years

What does recovery mean to you? Being able to be the best version of myself that I can be. The process of learning that I am enough.

What does peer support mean to you? Being a light in darkness. Showing others there is resilience in everyone.

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? Every day that I get to do this work is a day of healing from past trauma and indiscretions. Giving hope instead of selling dope is what I want to be remembered for.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? I’m a person in long term recovery and a lot of lived experience. I know that you are contemplating a change. It may seem overwhelming at first; when it seems difficult or uncomfortable, please keep this in mind – the hardest part of any recovery journey is taking the first step. Whether it’s physically, mentally or spiritually. So, when you have dark moments or doubts, please recognize, that you already have done the toughest part.

Tiffany A.

In recovery for 11 years (May 11, 2015)

What does recovery mean to you? Recovery means healing, doing the work to stay clean. Actively making changes that will make life for not only me, but those impacted by me (family, friends, work) better. Being accountable for mistakes I made in the past and continuing the work to not make the same mistakes again. Being open and willing to not only give but receive love also. It’s an ongoing process for me—I have good days and bad’—but I don’t use, no matter what. On my worst day, I try to remain grateful that I am clean and accept life on life’s terms. On my best days I have fun and celebrate with all the wonderful people around me by having fun and bringing a little jokey joke wherever I go.

What does peer support mean to you? Showing up and walking alongside people. Being humble and knowing I don’t have all the right answers but I’m here to walk alongside for the journey anyways. That nobody has to walk through life alone or without people who will keep it real and have compassion. Using lived experience to share hope, that people can live lives beyond their wildest dreams.

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? I just want people to believe they can have something different. That there is hope, relationships can be restored, or some may not, and either way they can be okay. Seeing people come in whether it be a team member or a participant and seeing the transformation, putting their hearts into this work or their recovery and being PROUD maybe for the first time in a long time. They are miracles nothing short of that, I love it and keeps me inspired to keep coming back.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? Whatever the limit is to what you think you can accomplish is…times it by 100 and then leave room for more. There is a saying, “Lost dreams awaken new possibilities arise.” If you do work, you get PAID! Life in recovery is a beautiful gift.

Andrew F.

In recovery for 6 years

What does recovery mean to you? Recovery begins by repairing relationships. First with God and then with those around us.

What does peer support mean to you? Walking along side others who are suffering like we once did.

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? To help those who are in a seemingly hopeless state find hope, recover, and build a life of purpose and fulfillment.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? If you stick around, your best days are in front of you.

Torsten K.

In recovery for 25 years (October 13, 2000)

What does recovery mean to you? Daily participation in healing from ism’s and addictions through (in my case) 12-step program that helps me maintain a spiritually fit condition and connection with my higher power so that I can treat myself and others with compassion and respect.

What does peer support mean to you? Supporting and advocating for people in early recovery through lived experience including justice involvement, mental health, and other barriers of the past.

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? I feel compassionate towards people in early recovery and love to see the results when someone picks up the pieces of the past and starts healing and helping others.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? You don’t have to do this alone.

Angela N.

In recovery for 3.5 years

What does recovery mean to you? Recovery to me means healing your mind, body, and soul from the wrath of addiction and becoming your whole true self. It means gaining back the life that was lost to addiction, finding who you are, and discovering what brings you purpose.

What does peer support mean to you? To me, peer support is someone who understands the struggles, has walked through their own, and come out the other side of them, to be able to then reach out their hand and say to someone else still in the depths, "Let me walk with you so you don’t feel alone.”

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? I felt so alone in my journey through the justice system and my early recovery. I do this work so that I can help others feel less alone and to help them discover what brings them life and inspires them to keep going. Because there is an addict out there still suffering, that still has hope, and that doesn’t want to become a statistic.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. How would you like your next chapter to start? You are worth it and you do not have to be defined by your life and how it has been before right now. Take that chance, believe in yourself, and never be afraid to ask for help.

Russ G.

In recovery for 9 years

What does recovery mean to you? It means learning to prioritize my mental and physical health, learning what it means to have healthy relationships, and learning how to make choices that align with my values. It means gaining the emotional awareness so that I can know why I’ve made certain choices in the past, and why I want to make different choices in the present and future. It’s about finding my purpose.

What does peer support mean to you? A peer is someone to walk along side of someone when they need it the most. It is just a person to hold up a flashlight when everything is so dark that it’s hard to see which way to go. A person to believe in someone and lift up their strengths and encourage them to keep on when the barriers in their lives seem too large to overcome. A person who has been on a somewhat similar journey and has learned what it means to recover.

What is your ‘why’ for doing this work? I want to provide people with the support that I was never able to access when I needed it the most. I grew up in a part of the country where resources were, and still are, very scarce. The ones that were available didn’t align with my values, made me uncomfortable, or just didn’t fit my needs. I have wondered if my path would look different if I had someone to give me some hope. I love watching people grow and heal from the trauma they have picked up along the way.

What is one thing you would say to someone early in recovery or thinking about starting their journey? I would say it’s totally worth it. I would say be easy on yourself because we all make mistakes and it’s a waste of time thinking of what could have been or should have been. Whatever mistakes you have made are in the past and they can be used as learning experiences if we choose to see them that way. I can’t even drive across town without hitting some potholes, so don’t be surprised or thrown off when the road gets bumpy. Try to find community that supports your recovery and really wants to see you thrive. After a while you might really start finding joy in small things such as a beautiful sunset or finding a new hobby.

To learn more about National Recovery Month and explore resources for recovery, visit SAMHSA.gov.

To learn more about our Peer Support program at The Pathfinder Network, visit our Community Corrections Programs page.