Meeting people when they’re at their most vulnerable moments
Ryan is a Recovery Coach in recovery, from Old Orchard Beach and Vassalboro.
What do you do for work, and what communities of people do you work with?
As a recovery coach, what you’re doing is meeting people when they’re at their most vulnerable moments. It’s when they’re coming in, and they’re unsure really of what to do. As a person in recovery, I understand the value of my work. It’s really helpful to have somebody there to guide you because when you’re coming in, you’re in this very small window where you’re actually looking to get help. If you end up going the wrong direction and calling places that might not be an appropriate fit, or reaching out to places that just might not be the best of places—then you may end up getting dissuaded from continuing that journey. So, having somebody there to help guide you through that is important.
It’s a great stepping stone into the health field. It’s a great stepping stone into starting your own nonprofit or your own business—it opens doors. It gives you the chance to be in a setting that’s professional; that’s meaningful; that’s purposeful. For me, and for many people like me coming from the lifestyle that I came from—I didn’t think that was ever going to be possible.
How did you get into this line of work?
I spent most of my life before this taking from others, and a lot of people like me did. I spent a lot of time thinking of what I could get from people—never what I could give back—because honestly, deep down inside, I didn’t think there was anything I could give back. Once I got to that point where recovery coaching and peer support became an option, and it was explained to me that, “Hey, your life experience can be helpful to somebody else”, it just changed things. It changed what I thought my life could be. It changed what I thought of myself and my past and my history and my future. All those things changed with the opportunity to be a recovery coach.
What do you enjoy about your work?
It changed my life. It was something that was missing. I had tried to get sober a lot of times before, and there was always something that was missing from that purpose. When I realized that this mess of my life could be utilized to help somebody else, then everything seemed to make sense at that point. Being able to connect to somebody when they’re at their weakest point and then utilize things that you thought were what made you a bad person to connect to somebody else, to help them understand that it’s part of the disease and not necessarily just them as a person, and that there is a way to get better—has changed the whole trajectory of what my life has been. Recovery coaching led me on the path to where I am now. I don’t know where I’d be without it. I guess it helps me just as much as—if not sometimes more than—the people who are calling me for help or reaching out to me.
What types of skills and qualities does it take to be successful in this field?
Everybody’s going to be different. Everybody’s going to have their own personalities, and that is what we need. Your personality type or gender, religion, race—any of those things can really make a difference in somebody’s comfort level. We need variety.
I would encourage anybody who has lived experience with substance use disorder, and who really cares about helping people—who wants to reduce the stigma of substance use disorder; who wants to make a change and be a part of something that changes people’s lives.
This work involves connection. You get to be a part of different people’s lives. You get to see change, and that is a beautiful thing. When you see somebody go from that first interaction where they’re hopeless and desperate to them getting their license back, or getting an apartment, or getting their kids back, or having visits with their kids, or getting a job, or then becoming a recovery coach beside you—beautiful things happen in this field.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting into the field?
I met a lot of very good people through my training. Some people that are my closest friends now were once strangers. Becoming a recovery coach broadened my horizons as to what recovery actually looks like.
The training is easy to find and easy to do. You’re really going in, and you’re bringing your own experience to it. There aren’t a lot of wrong answers, and you really can’t fail.