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Ep. 7 - Joi Honer
July 14, 2020
Joi Honer, Senior Director of Alumni and Community Engagement for Retreat Behavioral Health. She joins us with her insights into substance abuse and treatment and maintaining sobriety during the pandemic. Joi’s personal story of recovery is both impressive and a reminder that people can get better.
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Episode 7 - Joi Honer Interview Transcript
The BehavioralCorner BehavioralCorner
Hi, and welcome. I'm Steve Martorano. And this is the Behavioral Corner, you're invited to hang with us, because we've discussed the ways we live today. The choices we make, the things we do, and how they affect our health and wealthy. So you're on the corner, the Behavioral Corner, please hang around a while.
Steve Martorano
Well, you know, it's amazing the people that you run into hanging here on the behavioral corner, and we're always grateful we always run into very interesting people.It's instructive right now to remind people for so many obvious reasons, that in spite of the way the world looks right now, and I'm not gonna kid you, the world looks pretty messed up. We're not all going to hell in a handbasket. Things will correct themselves, not without a struggle, that's for sure. But most things worth doing are worth doing even if they are hard. So from time to time, on the Behavioiral Corner, we like to avail ourselves of somebody who really does have an inspiring story of overcoming adversity and triumphing in extraordinary way. Those stories of successful recovery are invaluable. I found over, over many years of talking to people hear remarkable stories. And so very, very often, they are accompanied by a sense of service and need to help other people who are having a hard time, both in the substance abuse and treatment area. And in the general area of mental health. It is important, it's not just any let's tell them some good news. It's important to remind people that you can get better -- things can get better. And with a lot of help and a lot of hard work, and maybe some luck, we'll all be able to look back and say you know, it looked bad but it got better. Who better than to talk to us about this triumph over adversity than a brand new -- a brand new guest on the on the corner. Joi Honer is with us today. Joy is the new I should say, Senior Director of Alumni and Community Engagement for our great friends and supporters Retreat Behavioral Health. She joins us with a whole life full of experiences, and now professional career and helping other people with similar problems. We welcome Joi Honer to the program. Hi, Joi. How are you?
Joi Honer
Hi, Steve. It's really great to be here. I'm grateful to have an opportunity to talk about, you know, recovery. And that's that's one topic I'm always glad to advocate for and support. So I'm, I'm really doing well because I'm grateful to be here.
Steve Martorano
You know, what's interesting about that whenever we talk about recovery, particularly substance abuse, recovery, nothing over the past 10 years, save the pandemic has received more mainstream attention than the effects of addiction on our society and yet through it all through the years, and years of, you know, stories and people talking about it in documentaries. Very often. What's overlooked is the literally 10s of millions of people who are right now living in long term successful sobriety. We just sort of take it for granted that did, everybody. This is a struggle, and they're always bad stories. They're not always bad stories. And you are, believe me, one of the just unbelievable stories. You you I know you were in recovery and certainly willing to talk about your struggles and how you overcame them. How long now, Joi, have you been in recovery?
Joi Honer
Well, I've been in recovery for 38 years and around -- 38 years and 10 months, so almost 39 years in August, I'll celebrate 39 years. So I always kind of joke that I got sober when I was there. I got into recovery when I was two, just because I don't want to talk about my age. So certainly that ages me a little bit, but I got into recovery, sound recovery. When I was 17 years old.
Steve Martorano
17?
Joi Honer
Yep.
Steve Martorano
So so without, you know, without asking your age of course, yeah, clearly you you have been you have been in successful recovery longer than you were an active addiction, correct?
Joi Honer
Yep. Correct. Which is, which is crazy, you know, and a good way. And I mean that in the best of ways. But as most of us know, when you first get into recovery, don't imagine yourself getting a day, let alone a year, let alone 38 and a half of them, you know,
Well, you know, from the outside from the perspective of someone who's not really familiar with how this whole thing works. The thought might be well, wait a minute, she's been sober way longer than she was addicted. Maybe it wasn't an addiction. Maybe it was just a stumbler. Would you say you're going on 40 years of sobriety, it's something that you're still actively involved in working towards? How do you explain to people something that happened so long ago in your life is still so very central to what you do?
What we know about substance use disorder is that it's a chronic fatal progressive disease. And it is a disease so that disease can be triggered. And anytime and, and trust me, I don't walk around being afraid of being triggered by my disease. Most of the time at this point, I'm not as vulnerable say, as somebody new new in recovery, I don't generally have an obsession, but I do still have to maintain my recovery lifestyle, in the sense that I have to, and I utilize recovery programs support programs, and they have this beautiful thing called the steps and I apply the steps to my life because the steps are not only vehicle to to support recovery, they're just really good coping strategies. I mean, being able to take inventory and make amends, being honest, the ability to examine my life and make changes even years later. I mean, there are things behaviors or old thoughts that don't even have to do with recovery, or abstinence or using but has to do with my attitude and my behaviors that I can still examine and grow from. So there's an immense freedom to being able to choose how I act and react. And that to me is central to my recovery.
Steve Martorano
Well, you know what, we're gonna get deeper into the weeds on just what you talked about the application of the tools and skills, someone like you and anyone in long term recovery, utilize every day to maintain sobriety and how they are applicable on a broader spectrum. Certainly set against the backdrop of this pandemic, but we'll get to that straight ahead. Joi, give us some of your background, where are you from and what was what was the family like and tell us a little about that?
Joi Honer
Well, I grew up in Philadelphia, I grew up primarily in the northeast in several areas. When I got into recovery, I was actually living in a housing project that was northeast Philadelphia that's actually no longer there, specifically because I come from a family where substance use disorder was central. And, you know, my, my parents suffered from mental health and substance use disorder. So, you know, we slowly made our way from, I would say, a single family home in the suburbs to eventually a housing project in Philadelphia, which is where like I said, I was living when I got into recovery. I started because I was surrounded with using specifically alcoholics. I think my first drink was at eight years old or not eight years old, I third grade, whatever that is, I'm not I'm never really sure. And of course, at that point, I didn't have access every day and that didn't progress every day, but I got a taste of it. And it really progressed from there. I did progress from alcohol to other substances, but to me the substance isn't the point. It was really that uncontrolled use the continued use despite negative consequences making promises to myself. In fact, this is a strange story, but you know what the Guardian Angels are?
Steve Martorano
Yes.
Joi Honer
In the midst of my active use, I joined the Guardian Angels, because I wanted to protect society from the bad guys...
Steve Martorano
...in the midst of your use upi decided to do this, okay.
Joi Honer
...and that gives you a perspective of folks who are struggling with use aren't bad people, they make bad choices to support their disease, to support their continued use, because they're in that powerless, active use stage. I didn't want to be a bad person. And again, in my mind, that was what substance use was, but folks are they're not well, and I wasn't well, but I still wanted to do right I wanted to do well in school, I wanted to be a positive role model. And I also needed at that point, substances to function. At least that's how I felt at the time.
Steve Martorano
You know, The Guardian Angels thing is interesting. Do you think on some level as you're, you know, spiraling downward with your substance abuse problems, you decide, well, let me join this community help group. You were saying without saying out loud? I can't control that. But maybe I can control this.
Joi Honer
Oh, that would make perfect sense. And you're right. I think that I wanted to kind of atone or balance my footprint in life at that point. So yeah, to control because a lot of their training was about discipline and control.
Steve Martorano
For people who might not know...
Joi Honer
Oh, sorry. Yeah,
Steve Martorano
This was a, this was a group of just dedicated citizens who saw that their, their neighborhoods were deteriorating. They donnned, I think was red berets in New York City, and went on what would be thought of immediately as like a neighborhood watch group, and they helped whoever they saw that needed help that they were the Guardian Angels. Right?
Joi Honer
Right. They and and mostly they focused on the subways and preventing crime in the subways, or at least addressing it having their presence. So it turns out that in the midst of that, probably about a month before we were set to graduate as the first class I wound up getting hepatitis wound up in hospital and that was specifically because of my substance use, I think because I had a lot of shame, because the cat was out of the bag. And, and for all I know, again, most of us think that people don't know what we're doing and many people know what we're doing. But I didn't go back because I had a lot of shame about winding up at the hospital with hepatitis so and it wasn't that long afterwards that I wound up going to treatment so so it so it all worked out for the best for most people with substance use disorder, you know, they're not sociopaths, but they're sick people trying to maintain their use because they don't know that there's other ways to cope. And you know, and again, that's what treatments for that's what support meetings are for. That's what 12 step groups are for is to help learn about all that. So the funny thing is, is I actually went to my first 12 step support meeting as a joke.
The BehavioralCorner BehavioralCorner
On who?
Joi Honer
My friend got court ordered by her PO so I want her there because I thought it would be funny. And I, you know, I went to my first meeting and I sat in a meeting and I and I, and I do think that there was definitely some kind of universe intervention there. And, and I heard my story, but I wasn't prepared to go to that meeting to ask for help. I just heard my story. And I was like, like me,
Steve Martorano
You know, it's amazing. I've heard this so many times, people inactive addiction, active substance abuse, when they make that realization, that oh, this isn't unique to me. It's always the same. They're just like, it's an eye opener, isn't it? oh, look at this -- other people have almost the same problem I do. Somehow that makes it not better but easier.
Joi Honer
How addiction feeds itself is that it runs off of shame. And I knew that I had a lot of behaviors that I had that I was shameful of I disappointed myself. I disappointed my family even whether they use substances or some of them didn't, you know, I wasn't able to. I was going into 11th grade for the second time because because of my substance abbuse. Which, I mean, there was a lot of disappointment. So I certainly wasn't feeling good about myself and to hear other people say, I did this. And I did that. And I promised myself I would stop this, but I did it anyway. And I was like, wow, this is...yeah, you know, I like to say this ambivalence is is a part of recovery. And what I mean by that in early recovery, I had no idea what that meant, or the gifts that recovery would bring. I knew that I was not comfortable being abstinent because I had never, I hadn't done it in a really long time. There's an ambivalence that comes with that the struggle of I don't know if I can really do this. And honestly, I, I don't I'm not kidding you. I kind of was like, is this a cult, because they kind of chant at the end of the meeting you know? And I was like, these people are old, and I'm not old and my life is gonna suck to all these things. And, and I think what's important is and this speaks to what we're going to talk about. Just keep showing up. Just keep doing it. And honestly, and I get choked up, I think you can hear it. Yeah. The fact that the only thing I did right all the time was show up.You know, nobody gets recovery perfectly.
Steve Martorano
You know, I forget who it was. It said, life is 90% showing up.
Joi Honer
Exactly.
Steve Martorano
The show just showing up. It's, you know, I mean, I hear you, I've spoken to enough people now. So that so you know, on a lark here, you find yourself in one of the rooms and it's resonating with you. That was your first experience with I guess it's not strictly speaking treatment. But did you have actual full blown treatment in residential facilities?
Joi Honer
I did, and in 1981, BlueCross BlueShield, paid for 60 days of inpatient treatment. And actually, I have another funny story. I'm telling you, I'm kind of a weirdo. I don't mean that in a weird way. And not funny way, but I I can happily identify myself as that. So because my mom drank, and she was an alcoholic, and actually she was a really fun alcoholic, and she was more of a bender than a daily drinker. But I went to meetings for a couple weeks. And I don't know if I'm sure that you know that if you extend your hand in 12 step programs, they definitely extended back. And I was kind of adopted by the people in rooms, they were like, Oh, so So you think you might have a problem? are you what are you doing at noon? Tomorrow? We're going to a meeting you want us to pick you up? You know, and I was like, okay, but they adopted me. And after a couple weeks, I really realized that living in the housing project that I lived in, and the fact that I had dealt drugs at some point, put me in danger. And I went home to my mom and I said, Mom, I think I should go to treatment. And my mom being the good person who was still active, said, Oh, you're never that bad. You don't really need treatment. Well, how do you get somebody to do something? You know, you tell them not to write, this is 100% truth. I ran away to treatment.
Steve Martorano
You escaped to treatment?
Joi Honer
Yes.
Steve Martorano
Not a bad plan.
Joi Honer
I told her I was going, I was going to treatment and she couldn't stop me. And actually, it was my father's insurance who had passed away. But he was a postman. So I had federal insurance and Social Security, you know, check. So I actually never went home.
Steve Martorano
So how was that experience with you when you're now in a residential facility and you can't treat it lackadaisically did it resonate with you immediately? Or did you have multiple trips or what?
Joi Honer
I went through treatment once, and then I had to go to a recovery house because gone home was not safe for me. You know, you talk about what we know about sometimes folks who are raised in substance use disorder treatment, they also get good coping skills. And I was a people pleaser. I was a perfect patient. And in fact, I was did everything so well. At one point, my counselor called me out and said, You know what, you're full of it. You know, You're, you're you're putting on this show to make everyone like you, but maybe inside you don't always feel this way. So it was kind of actually really cool because in a way she she pulled my card a little bit because I was always wanting to be the perfect, you know, if I'm going to be in recovery, I better be perfect at it. You know, I wanted an A in recovery. And sometimes recovery is not about actually recovery is never about a
Steve Martorano
Yeah, so explain why is it a bad idea because it puts too much stress on somebody in their vulnerable state?
Joi Honer
Well, you're not it's not being honest. And recovery values, you know, honesty so there were things you know, fears in my mind, I reserved the ability to maybe smoke marijuana, you know, there were things that I weren't wasn't saying out loud, because I wanted to comply. You know, I had had thoughts of using I had thoughts of running away from treatment but I didn't say those things out loud because I didn't want to look bad. I wanted to look Miss Recovery, you know, I wanted to be the poster child. So it was unhealthy to deny those feelings and quite frankly, what we know about this. I always like in substance use disorder like mushrooms, because it grows in manure and it grows in the dark,
Steve Martorano
In the dark. Right. Exactly.
Joi Honer
And it stinks so bad that you actually get used to it, you know, and you don't even realize how bad it stinks until you get out of it.
Steve Martorano
That is, that's an absolutely sharp, sharp picture you draw. I don't think anybody's ever quite described it like that. We're talking to Joi Honer, who is the director of alumni services and community engagement with our friends and underwriters of the Behavioral Corner. The good folks at Retreat Behavioral Health, as Joi explained to us, she is now successfully sober for 38 years. It's a remarkable achievement. And as I mentioned at the beginning of this, lots of people who find themselves living healthy and, and sober lives at some point, find a calling and all of that and that certainly is a case with Joi. She is going to take us through a couple of things that are particularly important that go beyond coping with and conquering substance abuse and how to apply some of these techniques to what we're all now in the same boat with and that is COVID-19 and the the pandemic.
Retreat Behavioral Health
At Retreat Behavioral Health, we believe in the power of connection and quality care. We offer a comprehensive, holistic and compassionate treatment from industry leading experts. Call 855-802-6600 and begin your journey today.
Steve Martorano
Let's pick up on this notion that lots of what you've been talking about your your successful sobriety and the methods and techniques you use to achieve That can be applied to life in general. But before we get to that, at what point did you did you say, I think I can do this and help other people. Why did that happen?
Joi Honer
There are multiple levels of recovery. And and I think in some ways stages, my mother unfortunately actually died as a result of heart issues and substance use disorder because she didn't take care of herself. And so I sought counseling as part of my recovery program. And in my counseling. At one point, my counselor said to me, I know this program that is opening an adolescent unit. And I think you'd be really good with working with adolescents in this field, and you might want to consider applying for it. And at that point, I was in management and retail. And so that wasn't even a thought in my mind. I was doing service work in a recovery community level, I was sponsoring people I was supporting people. I was opening meetings and those kinds of stuff, but I never really considered it as a profession. So I applied and actually, it's really funny, Steve, that the day that I was hired at that program was July 19, of 1990. So I will be celebrating 30 years in the field of substance use disorder.
Steve Martorano
You know, I said this many people, it's changing a bit. Now, there's a lot of people in the field of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, who are who are not themselves recovering. But there's a large group of people who come out of that experience and wind up helping others. It's almost as though my experience has been talking to people like yourself with your stories, is that there's this sense once you once you realize that you can do this and can help other people have a secret, you need to share something that that you didn't know was possible. And you and you think you can communicate that secret to somebody else who's also sitting there going, I don't have a problem. Is that kind of like what it's like?
Joi Honer
Yeah, I do think it's that way. I think that it's definitely that willingness to give people hope. Hope is an really important part of the therapeutic process. And I think what I've learned over the years to is to also allow people to have conversations with people and help them gain insight into their own substance use disorder. I lean actually a little less on my personal story now than I used to, because I've learned to let people tell me what's going on and maybe reflect that back. And then if that makes sense, you know,
Steve Martorano
Yeah, at some point, you leave your story sort of behind so that you can get to them where they are.
Joi Honer
Right, exactly. So but I'm not saying that that story is not valuable, and I think it helps them. At the same time I balanced that with really helping them reflect and own and identify what they might need to change because my story is my story, but it might not be their story. And so I think that there's a balance of both and that's one of the really cool things. I like About people who are not in recovery in this field, that they bring with them different skills. So we both come from it in similar but different ways. And I think that it makes a good balance. And I actually notice here at Retreat, there's a really great balance of that. And I appreciate it very much.
Steve Martorano
It's true enough. Well, I've said many, many times and all stories of triumph over either mental health or substance abuse are the same, except they're all different. So ugly and you've made that you made that point abundantly.
Joi Honer
Okay, you ever read Joseph Campbell?
Steve Martorano
I have. Yes.
Joi Honer
That story of the hero.
Steve Martorano
Yep.
Joi Honer
That you know, the warrior?
Steve Martorano
Yeah, find your bliss. Yes, find your bliss and then just behave like that. Just just just behave like that. And so let's talk about now the broader problems that we're facing. Now sobriety is difficult thing under any circumstances. It's a it's a full time job, you've got to work at it and be sincere. It didn't it doesn't need any more obstacles in his path and what could be bigger than this pandemic, but putting aside I mean, we'll talk a little bit about people who are trying to maintain their sobriety set against the backdrop of a communicable disease. What about the techniques that you and others have used to overcome substance abuse are applicable to our mental health state during a pandemic?
Joi Honer
Well, I would say that probably the first one would be seated in what we commonly know is the Serenity Prayer. And identifying what parts of this I can change. And I have power over what parts I don't. And so certainly, for instance, stay at home orders. I don't have power over that. But how I respond to them, I do have power over what I think about the situation. I have power over how I react to it, I have choices. And so it's really that except the things I cannot change and changing the things I can pieces, that I think it's important for anybody, actually, any It's so funny that most of these really apply to everybody. But they are specifically helpful in recovering community. So that would be one thing.
Steve Martorano
Well, that notion of surrender is very important because people don't understand they think surrender means your quit, you throw up the white flag and you put your hands up. What I hear you and others have said is no, just recognizing that there are things you can control and things you cannot, if you get hung up on the things you cannot control, you'll never get around to the things you can. That's very clear, and I couldn't agree more with you. I know that you also you've written about this stuff, extensively, and I'm following along sort of your notes. You talk about patience. What's the role patience plays in this?
Joi Honer
Almost like early recovery, hanging around and and letting the process play out? Because number one, the alternative isn't good. And certainly, the outcome would be much worse if somebody were to return to us but being patient and knowing that nothing is forever, literally nothing is forever,
Steve Martorano
Literally, literally.
Joi Honer
So, understanding that this is taking some time just like recovery, that hard work led me to a place where honestly, Steve, there's a lot that's not hard today. I don't struggle the way I struggled the first couple years I was I don't, you know, and I have life circumstances, of course, that I experienced that might create some sadness or anger. But I'm not in the same place, but knowing that we have to be patient. And that we have to trust that process.
Steve Martorano
Yeah. And you know what? Joi, we can see it every day. And now with a current, you know, spike in cases, patience is sorely lacking. among a lot of people. They want to force this thing to some different conclusion or path in there and they're getting way ahead of themselves on that. So you can see where patience is, is critical. When you when you talk about both also focusing on yourself, how does that play out in a situation where we were all sort of in this together? What do you mean by focus on yourself?
Joi Honer
Well, what's really funny is that in some senses, some of the some of the media and some of the reports that we have that that the United States does tend to be individualistic. But what I mean by focus on myself not is not about this is what I want, and I want it now It means that I am responsible to do what I need to do. I am responsible for the messages that I create around this pandemic. So if I create the message, and I hold on and I entertain the message, it's never going to get any better. It's hopeless. This is stupid. And I want to do everything that I shouldn't be able to do right now. That message is I am responsible for and I can change that with I want to stay alive. I love my neighbors and my friends and the people that I care about. So I'm going to do those things that I can you know, comply, I am grateful that I'm not ill. So focusing on myself in the sense of I am responsible for my actions and reactions.It's not selfish. It's self caring.
Steve Martorano
Yeah. And quit, you know, quit worrying so much about what that guy's doing and just stay in your lane. Work your thing. Yeah. And and if everybody does that, then obviously we're all we're all better off. Of course, none of this works unless people trust the process.
Joi Honer
Yes, exactly. And that is again, important to trust the professionals because in my life, it's healthy to question professional, it's healthy to question and critically think but at the same time, if I'm not a scientist, I don't get to make scientific observations, you know. So I need to trust folks that when they say this is good for me, this is the best way that we're going to get through this. I'm going to believe that And I'm going to believe that we will get through it, and that we will get better. And I and I do believe that.
Steve Martorano
There are a couple things that are sorely lacking in fighting this pandemic. And certainly you're mentioning responsibility and a lot of talk about rights. And we all cherish those very little talk about responsibilities that are associated with the rights. So that's got to happen. We got to stay in the moment too, don't we? We got it. We got to just deal with what's going on right now? Right?
Joi Honer
Well, and that part is a gift because sometimes this can be overwhelming, just like I was overwhelming when I was in very early recovery to think I never thought I would get 30 years. I couldn't even imagine, you know, a month sometimes. And actually trying to project that far ahead, isn't smart and it's not helpful and literally changes nothing. The only thing that changes is my attitude. Again, I go back to the recovery process. The tools of recovery are so applicable to everyday life. It does nothing for me to project about how this is going to go, what's going to happen? How are we going to do it? All of that stuff takes me away. From my experience of today.
Steve Martorano
One of the other similarities between straight substance abuse and what we're all facing, trying to battle this disease is that in both cases, there's isolation that occurs. I mean, we're actively told, in a sense to isolate, to stem the tide of the virus. And certainly in substance abuse isolation is sort of a self fulfilling prophecy. You talk about social connections in terms of, you know, conquering isolation, talk about that a little bit.
Joi Honer
You know, we can stay at home, but that doesn't mean we have to isolate. And those are two different things. And yes, it's very unfortunate that for most of us now, although we are able to be outside a little more, but as we go through this, there are levels that we're not used to. Certainly not being able to sit side by side with somebody in a circle or give somebody a hug. And we're just opening up. And honestly, I'm not even, you know, we're doing that very, very cautiously and consciously. But there are levels of, say connection that we could be mindful of So, so like texting is the first level, you're making a conversation with somebody, you're connecting to them, you're talking back and forth, but you're not talking. And then the next one is obviously actually picking up the phone. You know, voices can make a big difference. And then, of course, the next level is FaceTime or zooming. One really awesome thing about the community of recovery people is we know how to mobilize. We've been doing it for years, right? We've been meeting with each other for years to support each other. And like a week we had like 2000 recovery meetings available online by Zoom. Because people knew that we can't do this alone.
Steve Martorano
I've heard stories that some people have found it easier to stay in the rooms and reach out for help in this new virtual way, then, you know what walk into some meeting and going in and a bunch of strange people in the same room. You seen that as well?
Joi Honer
Absolutely. Yeah, I am saying that there are folks that are comfortable. And isn't that neat? And again, I go back to so what do we look for? When something is not when we have a challenges? What are those victories that come from that challenge? And that is one. You know, I know that a lot of programs are looking at telehealth as a regular option for some treatment for some people. There is something to be said. There's a measure of safety and, and anonymity, ironically, you know, to not having to be there in person and for some people. I do believe that any access point we can give people over treatment recovery, taking a look at themselves growing asking for help whatever access point is useful for that person, then that is wonderful. So yes, I believe that, that this has been helpful to some people. Yeah, of course, I am not diminishing folks who are in and kind of in the midst of struggle and a challenge. I'm not I'm not saying this is easy on. I'm going to acknowledge, you know, because again, honesty and acknowledging that elephant in the room, there are some challenges to lack of access to care. And honestly, lack of access to substances. I mean, a lot of folks are struggling right now with getting access to care and at the same time, access to substances is creating some crisis isn't some safe?
Steve Martorano
Yeah, it's not it's not an easy road. But it say, Listen, this has been incredibly helpful to see how these things that are thought to apply strictly to substance abuse, and sobriety have a broader, wider utility when we face a pandemic Joi Honer is our guests enjoy is the brand new Director of Alumni Services, and Community Engagement at Retreat Behavioral Health. And before we, you know, we get chased off the corner. Talk a little bit about the alumni group, people might confuse it an alumni group made up of people who have successfully been through recovery as a sort of another meeting. The one group is not like that isn't
Joi Honer
An alumni group is more of it's designed to be several things: A point of connection of like minded people, but it's also meant to be a little more social. Like I always say, if the alumni meeting only feels like a 12 step meeting, then you might as well go to a 12 step meeting. The alumni group hopefully is more dynamic, more enriching gives people an opportunity. Now of course, with COVID we are primarily focused on speakers and things that we can do that are more talking to each other. But our alumni and our hope for alumni is engaging folks on many levels, pool parties, game night pizza, you know,its designed to celebrate recovery, while concurrently providing support and reinforcement and connection to the community as well.
Steve Martorano
Hey, Joi, thanks so much. It's like I said it was a great, a great piece of good luck to bump into you here on the Behavioral Corner and the next time you're in the neighborhood, we're going to, we're going to grab you again and and have Have you talked some more with us. We really appreciate it.
Joi Honer
Thank you. I really appreciate it well.
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On the next Corner, host Steve Martorano welcomes Jim Duffy, a beacon of hope and living proof of the possibility of long-term recovery from substance abuse. As the Business Development Manager at Retreat Behavioral Health, Jim shares his remarkable story of overcoming addiction and achieving an impressive 39 years of sobriety. The conversation highlights the critical importance of reminding those struggling with substance abuse that recovery is not only possible but also achievable.