I remember the nights I’d cry, looking in the mirror, not recognizing the girl I was looking at. I wanted and needed a way out. With so much shame and stigma around substance use and mental health, I did not know how to ask for help. The process of calling detoxes and getting certain documents felt so hard for me to do, and scary when I was in my active use.
I often think about what I needed most, and it was not just receiving phone numbers to call. I needed guidance and connection with people who truly understood the fear, the anxiety, the exhaustion – someone who could walk alongside me with no judgment. Today, as a person in recovery and working as a peer recovery specialist, I see how these spaces create the bridge that feels safe, easy, and real between wanting help and receiving it.
I started working at On the Road to Wellness on November 3rd, 2025. Since working here, I have had so many beautiful experiences, but one in particular stays with me. A member would come in, some days feeling down and out, and other days up and restless. He started to hint about wanting to get sober but also mentioned reasons as to why he couldn’t “yet”: responsibilities to handle, needing an ID, only wanting to do treatment out of state, and needing to wait for the mail. These reasons were valid but also backed by fear, something I could see, feel, and relate to.
Certain tasks that may seem easy to others, such as making phone calls, paperwork, and appointments, can feel stressful and impossible for someone struggling with mental health and substance disorders. On The Road to Wellness was able to financially support him in getting his ID, and I was able to sit beside him at the DMV to support him through the process. He knew he didn’t have to do this alone. He started to feel some hope. We were able to find an open bed out of state that would have taken him that day. Fear of the unknown stepped in, and he did not end up taking the bed. That is okay. We will continue to be a safe space with zero judgment or pressure for him.
On February 19th, 2026, he came in so defeated, sad, and just tired. He began to share that the night before was the anniversary of losing his child. He came in seeking support and again said he wanted to go to treatment. So, we made the calls, we got a bed, but again fear and willingness started to show up. These are the moments where peer support is so powerful. I was able to share parts of my experience, relate to how he was feeling, and normalize it. This time, he did not let fear win. He needed to keep his belongings safe, needed toiletries, and transportation. We made a plan and supported him in every way.
Ten minutes later, he agreed to do the phone screen. The open bed was ready. He packed his bag, got into an Uber, and went straight to treatment. That night, I received a message that he had arrived safely and had been admitted. In that moment, I was reminded why peer support matters. What makes the difference is having someone willing to walk alongside a person through the ups and downs, the phone calls, the paperwork, and the uncertainty of what comes next.
This is not just work for me. It’s my purpose – being able to meet people where they are at, using my lived experience with service and walking beside them as they move forward.
Julia Lopez is a Peer Recovery Specialist at On The Road to Wellness. To contact Julia, email Julia.L@otrtw.org.
