Still Standing

Marigold Peer Voices

Anonymity is essential to the Marigold Health community so that every member has a place to be their true self; to comfortably speak openly and honestly. While our peers are not anonymous in the Marigold Health app, we still encourage them to use their own voices when they communicate, without feeling like they need to edit for an audience. In that spirit, this piece of content has not been filtered, polished, or run through the marketing machine. We hope you enjoy this sample of Marigold peer voices, and that it inspires you to join the conversation.

Seven years ago, if you were to tell me I would be a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, helping others find freedom from active substance use and mental health I would have laughed to say the least. Through my years of serious mental health and active using I didn't think I would live to see my late 20's. Through all the trauma and overdoses, car accidents and issues with the law, I never would have thought that I would be able to use all the pain I endured to help others. I never thought I would be able to turn such a dark time in my life into light. ?

I started working as a CPRS over three years ago at Anchor Recovery. I learned a lot there working street outreach, on call in the emergency room, and for the safe stations, helping people who were in similar situations to those I had been. When you wake up from an overdose and someone is by your bedside that is living, breathing proof that recovery is possible, it opens doors you did not know existed.?

I now work at Marigold Health, which is virtual peer work, and we are able to reach people all over. It's easy access, anonymous, 24/7 groups, and individual peer work one on one. I am very proud of the work we do. I have been able to create and admin a Trafficking In Persons group. Like our many other groups, we want to support all populations.

The film I was a part of, Circles and Silence, is another way I get into the community to break stigma, bring awareness and help even more populations. David Neill (USARI) has been an amazing driving force bringing this film into High Schools across Rhode Island. We also presented at Victim Assistance Academy, City Halls, and other facilities for nurses, teachers, parents. I was awarded the 2022 Recovery In Action Award at the Rally For Recovery and was honored to stand amongst so many amazing people who work hard every day with scarce resources to help save our community. ?

We face so much stigma, and I look at my life now: full of purpose and peace, a life of wellness and meaning, I cannot imagine if I had not made it. If I had left all the pain behind for my loved ones to burden. We get to heal together, grow together and our lives are just as important as the next. We are not lost souls or lost causes. Recovery is possible and it is necessary for the survivors to carry that message.

-Shannon Hitzenbuhler