11/10/2025
To whom it may concern I used to think recovery had to look only one way. Total abstinence. No medication. No gray areas.
But life, experience, and hundreds of conversations across tables and jail pods and in the Emergency Room and meetings changed that for me.
Recovery is literally defined as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and reach their full potential.
Nowhere in that definition does it say how that journey has to look. Nowhere does it say there is only one right way.
Yet people will still judge others for being on Suboxoneโฆ
Or taking their mental health medsโฆ
Or even using ma*****na to stay out off the needle and out of a casket.
The longer Iโve walked this path, the clearer it became:
I donโt want to be a gatekeeper of recovery.
I want to be a bridge.
I want to support people no matter their path.
Because Iโve seen people with โperfect abstinenceโ still miserable.
And Iโve seen people using tools and supports (including medication) living free, healthy, stable, and thriving.
If someone is improving their health.
If someone is rebuilding their life.
If someone is choosing life over death.
That is recovery.
Meet people where they are.
Not where you think they should be.
Every human deserves hope, dignity, and a chance to grow. Thanks for attending my TED Talk, Bernadette
