Sobering Thoughts: Hope Coalition's Patrick Davis and the Road to Recovery

Recovery is about much more than breaking free from addiction. It's about rebuilding a life with purpose, connection, and hope. In this episode of the Kudzu Project, Nick sits down with Patrick Davis, Program Manager of Hope Coalition in Hendersonville, N.C., to talk about the realities of substance abuse recovery and the transformative power of peer support.

A North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist, Patrick's path to helping others is deeply personal. After experiencing firsthand how Hope Coalition changed his own life, he returned to the organization to help others navigate their own recovery journeys. Whether you've been personally affected by addiction or simply want to better understand one of the most pressing issues facing our community today, this is a conversation about resilience, redemption, and the remarkable capacity for hope.

Welcome to Rhythm & Brews — held on the 3rd Thursday of each month from June-October, Rhythm & Brews transforms South Main Street in downtown Hendersonville into a community gathering place filled with music, food trucks, local beer, wine, and cider, and thousands of people enjoying a summer evening together. Learn more at https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/events/rhythm-brews-concert-series.

The Kudzu Project is powered by the Lucey Agency, a full-service marketing firm based in Hendersonville, NC.

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce is a proud presenting partner of the Apple Festival Races which will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026. The event is presented by Hunter Subaru, with support from Lassonde Pappas, Cummins, and Mountain Credit Union. This event has something for runners of every level with an 8K, 5K, and Chick-fil-A Mini Moo Mile. To register, visit https://raceroster.com/events/2026/111853/apple-festival-races. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Patrick Davis. That's me. Hope Coalition. Yeah. So Hope Coalition is a nonprofit based here in Henderson County. We offer adult programs and youth service programs primarily aimed at education and prevention of substance misuse in youth and adults. And so we have several different programs both for youth and for adults. I thought I'd just give you a little rundown kind of of our facilities and then kind of what we offer for folks. That'd be great. I thought it might be important though, just to kind of share how I got involved with that. I'm currently the program manager over at Hope Coalition, but I started out as a participant there, kind of uh working through my own struggles with substance misuse. Um so you know, I grew up in uh in Greenville, South Carolina, pretty uh pretty average middle class upbringing. Ended up at uh Clemson University. Uh never really had gotten involved with drinking or anything prior, but once I got to college, I kind of let loose a little bit. Luckily, I was able to, you know, hold it together enough to get through school. But then when I graduated college, I started to notice that uh alcohol was becoming more and more of a focus in my life. Um, even though I was, you know, I felt like I was excelling, I was doing what I wanted to do. I was teaching, I was teaching at an elementary school up in Boston, Massachusetts at the time. And, you know, one of the things about living in Boston is you don't really drive, right? So uh I was living off of public trans transit. And um, you know, so my friends and I would go out a lot, and but I noticed that I would continue to keep the party going, even if I was just by myself when I got got done, you know. And this kind of continued and progressed until, you know, I met my my girlfriend, who's now my wife, and she kind of brought it up to me in some subtle ways about like, hey, I noticed there's just like some empty bottles sitting around, and I would just, you know, brush it off, as I think a lot of folks do when they are initially pretty hesitant to admit that they have a problem.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

And so, you know, as the years went by, this was like, let's see, 2020, you know, when we moved down here. We moved from Boston down to Fletcher, North Carolina, and that's when things uh kind of took a right turn for me. I when we moved here, you know, I wasn't working. Um we moved here to be close to my family. But that, you know, that uh kind of sense of like employment isolation really meant that I kind of let loose a little bit. And things got things got pretty out of control and and didn't really stop until 2024. You know, we had a daughter, and from then on, it was uh it was it was really a struggle for us to or for me to be present for my family. And I ended up getting really, really sick in early 2024. You know, my I of course didn't know it at the time, but my liver was shutting down. And so ended up in uh in Part E to do detox, and and when I got there, they said we can't really touch this. So they they flew me to Chapel Hill, and this is all uh has been told to me after the fact because I was uh essentially in a coma um from this point on. And so I woke up in early June. You know, I went in in April, I woke up in early June, uh, and I'd had a liver transplant. And so um, you know, I I one of my first memories is I woke up and I was talking to my wife, and I didn't believe her that anything had happened because I had no memory or recollection of it. And, you know, it was it was a truly a miracle that I was able to get this operation and and get this gift. Unfortunately, my body uh did not accept that liver. And so I ended up hanging out in the hospital while they were doing test after test after test. And then they finally said in like mid-July, so it was about six weeks later, they said, you gotta go back on the list. And so I was pretty devastated. This is around my daughter's second birthday. And I remember sitting there thinking, like, I'm in, and I hadn't seen her in um probably about four months. Uh and I remember thinking, like, man, I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna die in here and I will not get to like hold my daughter again. And that was a low point for me for sure. Like I know a lot of people talk about rock bottom. Um yeah, I just remember having that that thought in my head. And so, you know, uh the way the transplant system works is you kind of have to be ready whenever something comes up. And so, you know, luckily I was already in the hospital. And then in early August, August 2nd, uh, a liver came through, and um I ended up receiving a second liver, which is uh again, it's it it's totally uh it's it's not on anything but uh but God on that, you know, it's it's hard to describe like the feeling of of that moment when they walked in and said, hey, we we might have a liver for you. And so again, underwent this operation, but not unfortunately. Uh the that liver was great, you know, it worked wonderfully. But because the other liver that I had had been failing again, my kidney had shut down. And so I ended up with a simultaneous uh liver kidney transplant on August 2nd of 24. And it's amazing how fast your body can like absorb a foreign object and make it uh make it work to your advantage. Like within a couple of days, I was uh my my you know, clearly physically, I was still pretty depleted, but uh my blood work was remarkably better. And it was kind of from that point on that everyone kind of breathed a sigh of relief and said, you know, you still have rehab to do, you still have all of these things to do to physically get better, but yeah, you know, like it looks like you're gonna you're gonna heal.

SPEAKER_02 7:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

And what an amazing relief that was. And so ended up uh having to recover in the hospital for about another month. And I remember having a conversation with my care team. And what's what's wonderful about that is I had uh a social worker, a psychiatrist, I had a chaplain working with me to try and help me kind of prepare for what it looks like when you leave here, like what's your plan? Because you were drinking a lot, like you're going back into that environment. What are you gonna do to try and try and hold on to the gifts that the gifts that you have received, you know? And I hadn't really thought about that. And so, you know, I came home uh in September of 2024 and was feeling pretty stuck. You know, I had doctor's appointments, like I don't know, a couple a week and doing blood work and PT. And then once all that kind of started slowing down, my mom actually found a flyer for Hope Coalition about some recovery meetings. You know, I had been toying with the idea. I had watched some virtual meetings, um, AA meetings when I was in the hospital and just having a hard time connecting with that, seeing as it was it was virtual. I do a lot better when I'm talking to people. And so in January of uh 2025, I just walked into Hope Coalition. And, you know, the first people I met were peer supports. And I had never heard of a peer support specialist. So, you know, I had been seeing psychiatrists and therapists and um, you know, medical professionals for a long time, but I had never talked to somebody who had the same lived experience as me who wasn't trying to tell me what to do.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Right.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

And it was just remarkably powerful for me to go in and just be allowed to talk and be allowed to kind of express a lot of the frustration that I was feeling with with them and to not just sort of have them say, oh, well, you know, why don't you try this? Why don't you try this? Why don't you try this? And they were just there to listen. And again, like I had never sort of received that type of treatment before. And, you know, I came to find out that this lived experience from the peer supports is is the key to their success, right? They're able to share with you that, you know, they also have struggled in this in this way. You know, they have struggled with substance use and they have found strategies that work for themselves to help maintain their recovery. And it was something I thought about a lot, was I was kind of living in this fear of relapse. And I had never really gotten to the point where I was excited to be sober. I was more living in that fear of relapse. And so, you know, I just started going to hope every day, you know. Again, like I was still doing PT and, you know, not quite as frequently, but still I was wasn't able to work. And so I would just go to Hope every day and I would talk to the peer supports there. I would talk to the CADCs who are um drug and alcohol counselors. Uh, and it was just it was so refreshing to be in a place where I didn't feel judged for for being in an alcoholic, you know. I am really grateful and so happy that my family supports me. Like I know a lot of people don't have that, and they have stuck with me, especially my wife, has stuck with me through my rock bottom, you know. Um, and I'm so so so happy that she was able to do that and found that strength. Um, but I know how much she appreciates me being able to go talk to somebody who who has been in that situation. Um and so yeah, from there, I uh again was just hanging out there so much that they said, hey, you should probably just go get your peer certification. Um and uh and so I did. I did that in May of 2025, so I guess a little over a year ago, um, and started working part-time there, and just like so blessed um to have had such an experienced peer to train me. Um, you know, you you learn a lot. It's it's a it's a 40-hour course you take. Um and again, the key is you you have to have had lived experience in either substance misuse or some sort of um like mental health situation where where you had to kind of work through and and find your recovery. And so started working, just loved it, you know, really loved it. It was part-time, but knew that it was something that I wanted to continue to pursue. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Before we get into talking about the organization, I just yeah, first of all, I want to say thank you for sharing that story. It's it's incredible. There's a lot to unpack here. I I'm I've got a lot of questions. Sure. How how long were you in Boston? And you know, I'm I'm very familiar with Boston. My family's from New England originally. Boston's, you know, you don't have to drive there, which makes it very easy to to drink. But it's also a drinking town. I mean, it's, you know, Cheers was based there. Sam Adams, I mean, good grief.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Yeah. So um how long were you there? Yeah, I was there. So I'm I graduated from Clemson in uh 2011. Okay. And I moved there um a couple months later or so. Was there from like March 2012 through uh like early 2019.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

So about seven years. And you were teaching in um what what grades were you teaching? Yeah, so I worked at a Montessori school in Back Bay, which um, if you're familiar with Boston, it's kind of right in the heart of the city. Yeah. Um and so we were, you know, again, so so privileged to have worked with the group I did. Um, it was kind of a rare situation where uh a lot of the teachers that I worked with were kind of around my age in their 20s and early 30s. And so uh we just formed a really tight connection, um, even beyond like you know, going out and things like that. There, some of my best friends today are still in in that situation and still there.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Yeah. And you met your wife there in Boston?

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Yeah, so she's from Cambridge. Um, she grew up there, uh, her family is from there. Yeah, we just met uh we went out uh for brunch one day, and yeah, now we have a kid.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

Wow. And what was the catalyst for moving back here? You just want to be closer to family?

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Yeah, I think, you know, I had proposed at that point. This was in like 2018 when we started talking about it. Uh, I had a nephew who was just born. They live in Brevard. My family, my mom and my dad and my brother and his kids live in Brevard. And so um, we had always talked about like maybe we should move down to Asheville just for something different. Um, the cost of living in Boston is is pretty outrageous. Absolutely. And so I think we knew if we wanted to be a little bit more financially stable, it might be a good idea to just relocate for a little while. And so Asheville was it. Is your wife a drinker? She's not, no, and I think that's something that makes it well, it's it's double-sided, right? So it makes it um, you know, a lot easier at home because you know, we don't have alcohol in our house, but then and you know, but it makes it harder for her to understand what I was going through.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

Yeah, yeah. So when you returned to the South from Boston, you you were back in an area that was familiar to you, and did you connect with old friends? And and did you how did the drinking continue when you when you moved here? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Yeah. So, you know, to me it was it was more of an escape, right? I I feel like I, you know, I grew up in Greenville, had awesome friends, still have awesome friends there. And I felt like when I moved, you know, my mind told me, well, you've just like abandoned all your friends, you know, and like why would they want to hang out with you anymore? And so I would stay in touch with them, but I was almost reluctant to try and like rejoin that group because I felt like, you know, again, it's it's the perception is often is always different from reality for me. But like the perception in my head was like, well, I don't want to try and like jump back into something that I've missed out on. And so I isolated, you know, pretty in a in a pretty severe way. But, you know, I was coaching lacrosse part-time doing that, but other than that, it was really like a time for me to try and explore what I really wanted to do. And instead of doing that, I drank.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

Yeah, yeah. I I haven't had a drink since Christmas of 2022. Congratulations. And I I never attended a single AA meeting. I never thought I had a problem. I always thought that I that I perhaps overdid it at times, but I felt that I was, I I felt that I was always in control. But then I always found myself in these situations where I was regretting the actions that I did when I was drinking. So I I guess it's a stubbornness to to not believe that that you have a problem that maybe keeps a lot of people from from getting help sometimes. But it I found myself in a position where I knew that if I didn't change, I was going to lose the person that I love the most, and that was my my future wife.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

And she stuck with me through my journey. And um, you know, I I really appreciate that because she could have easily left and and let me, you know, fight fight the demons myself. Yeah. But she also, you know, she gave me something to fight for, and um, so I'm I'm very grateful for her grace and patience and and um and understanding through my my process. She grew up never touching uh a drop of alcohol in her life. She she grew up in a very strict religious background where she didn't have her first drink until she was in her 30s, and even then she wasn't a drinker. She became more of a drinker when she met me and and and we were drinking together. And she continues to drink, she doesn't drink more than than two drinks at one or two drinks at a time. So but yeah, I um I know where you're coming from. But then again, I didn't I didn't face the the the physical adversity that she so you went from drinking one day to being in the hospital not knowing how you got there.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

Uh yeah, so some of my I mean my memory is is fairly fuzzy from uh that time. But my best recollection is I went to my primary care and uh I remember being so afraid to try and to go there, you know, because I was afraid to to change. I was afraid to to lose the thing that had had made me happy, you know, or that I thought had made me happy. And he told me, he said, you need to go to the emergency room now or you're gonna die. And I said, uh, okay, great. And I just went home. You know, my mom was with was, excuse me, my mom was with me at that appointment, I remember, and she like begged me to go to the emergency room, and I said no. And you know, she my mom and my wife said, Listen, you you are going to the hospital, or like we're gonna call the cops because you can't be around us, you can't be around your daughter like this. Um and again, like, man, thinking about my daughter is is like I still feel a lot of shame in not putting her first, you know. And I know like I'm not I sometimes people say like I'm not the same person, I'm I'm the exact same person, but I feel like my priorities now are so much more I mean are so much clearer, right? Yeah, but yeah, that idea of losing her pushed me in.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

You you you kind of become hijacked, you know, what when alcohol takes hold of you. You know, it's no excuse. Alcohol is never an excuse for any of the actions that you that you make, that you take when you're on it. But you know, hindsight is 2020, isn't it? And when you're when you move past it and you when you see how destructive it is to your life, then it just all makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

Yeah, I feel like the you know, one of the best analogies or one of the best images I have is like, um, you know, you have like a beautiful house, you have everything you could ever want, and like you just like set it on fire and then sit down on the couch, you know, um, and you know, it just but nothing nothing can penetrate. I feel like you you're just like in this shell, like where nothing can penetrate the addictive mind at that point. You know, like you're so I mean, you know, deep in the cave, man. Like they're just there's no light. Yeah, you know, it is a it is a an incredibly dark place to be. And I think, you know, having the opportunity now to even share a little bit about what I had gone through and you know, and and the the help that I had found with Hope Coalition. Um, you know, I I think it it serves as an example to folks that like, you know, we can't let fear like control us in that way. I think that, you know, for me, the the fear of getting help compounded the longer I waited. You know, it was like this, you know, this equation where I was so open to getting help, so open to getting help, and then it felt like you know, a switch gets flipped, and then you know, that that door closes. And there's no, you know, it it takes a lot of force to pry that back open. Yeah. Um, and sometimes it takes an incredibly dramatic event, you know.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

Yeah. Yeah, I I call it the light bulb moments, you know. Everybody has that light bulb moment when they realize something has to be done. You know, sometimes it's it's forced upon you medically, you know, the conditions uh are there, and and sometimes it's it's the you know, the risk of of losing a loved one. And and um yeah. I was always afraid of being boring. That would that was my big fear that I wouldn't be interesting with the people around. Me if I if I didn't drink and you know it loosened my tongue and you know changed my my behavior a little bit. And but I was finding that that it was changing my b behavior to the negative.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

Yeah. I I think about that all the time. Like I think about the experiences I had when uh you know when I wasn't so when I wasn't so controlled by drinking, but that it was a part of my social activity, right? And it was it was always it was always a part of my social life, right, as an adult. And I thought about that a lot, you know. I I equated it, it's like, man, I have great friends, I have uh a great job, I have, you know, uh a loving girlfriend, I have a supportive family. Uh and it's like, oh, and I drink. And so I don't want to change any of those things because I don't want to lose any of that, you know. And so, you know, I I did think about that a lot. And wow, way to, you know, I was it for me, I was so inside my own head that it's like, you know, I had convinced myself that the only reason, and kind of like similar to what you were saying, is like the only reason people want to hang out with me is because uh when I drink, I become like more of a social person, you know, more acceptable. And wow, that that perception now is like it is it's so unfounded because you know, those friends who I was close to who I'd go out with and stuff like that, I'm still so close to them. And they've been so supportive of my family as we kind of went through our challenges and and they continue to be, you know, and it's uh you know, again, I I just I think about that that mental effort wasted on trying to trying to be a person who I thought other people wanted me to be. You know, yeah. Um yeah, I have to force myself to read a lot about what a what your authentic self is and why your authentic self is so much more important to present to people than than your false self.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

Yeah. Reality is always better than the alternative, isn't it? You know, the real real life.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

You know. I look back on those times and it's you always found an excuse to make alcohol kind of a centerpiece of of your life, you know, whether it was deciding where you're gonna go hang out and what you're gonna do, or if you were gonna, you know, bring a flask with you that day, you know, that it always became part of the life. And now it's nice to, you know, I can be a morning person again. I don't I don't have to worry about did I have too much to drink to drive, you know. Yeah. It it's very liberating.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

It it is. And I, you know, I I think about it, you know, my my life right now, I I often think like, man, am I boring? And yeah, in some ways, in some ways for sure, but I choose to just be like content, you know. Somebody told me um last year, and I don't think I'll ever forget it, that you know, never mistake uh boredom for serenity. And um I I have to think about that when I'm like, man, I'm bored, you know, or like, oh man, my kid wants to play Paw Patrol action figures again for the 50th time today. And I'm like, man, that's boring. Um but I also think about the alternative of me just not there, you know, and and what that does, you know, not that I'm the integral peak integral piece in the family, but I know that I can play my part. And if I'm not either mentally present or physically present, then that piece just goes away completely. And all of that pressure then falls onto my wife, Kristen. And like, you know, that's that's like so unacceptable to me. Yeah, you know. I think about that, you know, our daughter, she's about to turn four, and so I think about that in the mornings a lot, right? Because she'll pop out of her room at like 5 30, like ready to roll. And and I'm the one that now gets up with her, you know, so that way Kristen can can sleep some, and because she's usually up sometimes at night with her trying to figure things out and how to make sure she's she's comfortable where she is. And so yeah, so I think about that as just like a prime example of being able to just be there, you know, it's not exciting, it's not groundbreaking. And a lot of people would be like, well, yeah, you're just doing what you're supposed to be doing. But and I I agree with them totally. It's not special, like there's nothing special about that, but it's so special to me because of because of where I was and where we were. And I I try so hard to like not let that 51st time of Paw Patrol be boring, you know. Um and uh yeah, it's just I try and find like a little bit of excitement or a little bit of joy in things that I once found like so tedious that it's like, man, I got a drink to get through this, you know, that now I can try and try and pull a little bit of something, even if it's you know, the most tedious of tasks. It's just I think it's key to try and at least pull a little bit of joy out of what you're doing. Yeah. So you've been you haven't had a drink since early 25? No, since uh yeah, April 22nd, 24. 24. Wow. Yeah, so a little over two years. And you're in good health, you feeling good? Yeah, yeah. I'm I'm going to, so my doctors are all in Chapel Hill, and it's pretty amazing. Uh, so I'm going for my my two-year checkup here um in a couple weeks, and I haven't been there since last August, which is like the longest stretch. You know, I was going to Chapel Hill like every two weeks for a while, and um, and that was hard, just you know, on on uh Kristen primarily. Um but yeah, not having to go for a full year and allowing them to or allowing me to do telehealth with them, like all of that is is huge. You know, I think that it frees me up to live a life that is not uh so defined by um you know uh chronic health issues. And yeah, uh it just helps me to feel uh like I can get back to what I like to do.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah. You know. So some when somebody walks into Hope Coalition, yeah, do you can you relate to their experience? Do you do you reflect on your own experiences? Yeah. How do you use that?

SPEAKER_01 29:30

For sure. I I think you have to, right? I think that's the only way that um, you know, you can walk side by side with somebody is if you relate to them. You know, our goal is uh really to make people feel like individuals and um to really make them feel like people, you know, like that they're that they're cared about, that they're loved. Because, you know, the stigma that's out there from, you know, again, not not all uh doctors do this, but a lot of times people will feel incredibly self-conscious going into a doctor's office and talking about substance misuse. Um, or if they're you know struggling with with uh you know like severe uh you know suicidal ideation, things like that. It's it's just it's it can be really terrifying to go and talk to a doctor about that. And so I feel like we um, you know, my experience of going to Hope and then working at Hope has been like uh it's it's been one of just complete non-judgment, right? So anyone who walks in, you know, it doesn't matter if they roll up in a benz or if they're coming in with their backpack because they sleep in the tent. Uh we really just approach everybody the exact same way. We're so lucky that um, you know, we are uh, you know, a drop-in center. And that truly means like you can just walk in. You know, if we're talking with somebody, or if we need a moment before we talk with you, it's like, yeah, get coffee, go have a cigarette, you know, have a snack, do whatever you need to do, use the bathroom, get uh supplies if you need that. Um, you know, if you're camping or if you need uh food, if you need hygiene products, anything. Um, you know, we really do our best to meet folks right where they are. Um and we build a foundation from there. So, you know, if if somebody comes in and they're um, you know, struggling with housing security or housing stability, you know, we're not gonna um, you know, try and find them a job right then. We want to try and focus on what what the issue is right there, and we want to try and support. I think something that's really important to distinguish um about uh a peer support versus like a therapist is a peer support, they have zero agenda, right? They have zero, you know, they have no expectation of what you should do or shouldn't do. They're just there to be there for you. Yeah, right. And so it's it sounds again, it sounds like, well, of course, yeah, you're there to talk to people or you're there to um, you know, just walk next to them and not in front of them. And yeah, that that's true, but we can use different strategies to try and help folks uh to try and kind of draw out what their goals are, right? And if they don't have a goal, that's okay. If they just need a place to be, they can come in and be there. And, you know, I um was talking to someone this morning and we were talking about different recovery groups um and you know how she connects to some versus others, and I think I said, ah, that's great. I think that's awesome. You know, like there's no expectation that people are gonna follow the path that you lead them on. And I just think that provides such a like a safe place for folks.

SPEAKER_02 32:45

Yeah. What are the similarities or the differences between your struggles with with alcohol and the struggles that you see people have with drugs? Because they're a completely different chemical makeup and and you get different results, obviously.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

Yeah, for sure. I I think, you know, I try and find um some similarities within them. I think, you know, there's always going to be uh a physical toll that um, you know, substances take on you. I think the one of the bigger pieces uh right now with with uh different drugs is is the mental toll that it takes on you, right? It really, you know, again, that addictive mind really puts your blinders on and it only lets you focus on, you know, it only lets you focus on, you know, either, you know, for me it's like, hey, when's your next drink? When's your next drink? When's your next drink? And everything else is kind of a side project when it comes to that, right? And so, you know, when people describe how they're feeling if they're if they're craving a certain substance, you know, those feelings are are pretty similar, right? Some of the same um, you know, opioid receptors in our brain, they get activated. Some of the you know, dopamine and serotonin, those levels change. Uh, and so, you know, I kind of try and relate to those feelings, but you're right, it is different. And like, you know, alcohol is is legal, you know. Um, and I don't think that should change. I think everyone should be able to make the any choice they want to. I know it's not a good choice for me, and so I'll steer clear of it. That doesn't mean it's not a good choice for somebody else, you know, if that if that is helpful for them. But yeah, you know, I think I try and focus more on like the human toll of what um substance misuse does, right? And so, gosh, what's it preventing you from? You know, and one of the greatest questions I think that we can ask someone is like, what are the benefits of you using?

SPEAKER_00 34:41

Right?

SPEAKER_01 34:42

What are the benefits of you drinking? Yeah. And trying to, you know, support them in the idea that like if if this is what you feel like it's bolstering you or helping you do, what might be some other strategies that you can use to help you feel that way without it? You know, and then that's where I feel like we find the gaps, right? And where um as a peer support, you might try and help somebody or not or support them in identifying uh, you know, ways that they can fill those gaps.

SPEAKER_02 35:14

Yeah. Before I ever thought of quitting drinking, I always wondered why is the plan, when you when you identify that you have an issue with drinking, why is the plan always involve quitting entirely and not why isn't there a 12-step program for figuring out how to be able to drink socially or have one or two drinks? And I think when you go through the process of determining that you you have an issue in your life and that you want to give it up, there's there's really no point in having the one or two drinks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:53

Can you explain that to me? What sure. Yeah, let me let me think about how to word this. I think that, you know, if you attend a 12-step meeting, the goal is to, um, in my opinion, is to is to follow the structured path in order to sort of free yourself from an addiction, right? And if my addiction is alcohol or my addiction is gambling, then I know if I am an addict, then any amount of that uh either activity or substance is going to trigger that addiction, you know? And so for those folks who say, like, you know, I'll I'll taper or I'll cut back, and that works for them, then I think that's awesome. You know, I think that's great. I think for the people who are, you know, for me, I I've tried that, right? So the idea of like, well, I'll just have one, great. But then, you know, you always come back to the fact that like, or you always come back to the activity and you end up for me, I ended up doing more, right? And so it was like almost like resetting a baseline. And I would, yeah, it's like, okay, great, I'll just have two. I'll have two. And then wait, how big are those two gonna be? Uh wait, how long apart are they gonna be? You know, and so it's like once your mind starts developing a plan around the activity, I feel like at that point, then, you know, for me, I I knew that I had lost some control over my own ability to stop.

SPEAKER_00 37:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

You know, I think I don't know if that fully answers your question.

SPEAKER_02 37:33

Yeah, alcohol becomes bigger than yourself in a way.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

Yeah. It's like a a little rain cloud follows you around, you know.

SPEAKER_02 37:41

Yeah. So Hope Coalition helps folks with with any type of substance abuse, alcohol abuse, helps set them on the right path.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

Yeah, well, we try we we try to, right? So we um we offer one-on-one peer support, which I think is uh is kind of our bread and butter at the adult center. You know, like I said, if if somebody walks in uh and they don't know what a peer support is, they'll learn quickly that this person is not wearing a white coat, they're not carrying a clipboard, uh, they have no agenda for what you should do. They really want to hear your story. They want to hear where you are and like what's your what what's important to you? Like what's your foundation look like? Um, and then from there, it's like, well, you know, what is the again, a great question to ask is like, what does support look like for you right now? You know, and some people say, Well, I just need to be in here and be quiet. It's like awesome. I'm so glad that we can provide that space for you. Yeah, some people say, Hey, I really want to develop like a one-year plan of what you know, what my life looks like in a year, how do I get there? It's like, great, well, let's let's parse that out, you know. And so we let um participants really guide our actions, right? And so our peer support is there. We also offer recovery meetings. So folks who might gather more, gain more from um hearing from a peer support, but then also uh other folks who are in the exact same boat, um, who are either looking for recovery, uh, who are just exploring the idea of what a different lifestyle looks like. Um, so we have narcotics anonymous meetings there. Um we also have uh, let's see, we have lots of different meetings. We have a movie group that meets where they watch a movie that's based on um, you know, a substance use journey and then discuss it after. We have a group that is called Early Recovery Skills, and that is uh probably our most popular group. It has lunch included, so people really find that great. Um, but in that group uh we talk about um different coping strategies, so physical things or mental things that you can take away and use. And I think uh, you know, for me, like journaling has been one of the things that I've I've learned is is so, so helpful for me. And I learned that um, again, sounds really obvious, but once you hear it from somebody else who has had that experience, who has found that to be really successful and you try it, and it's like, wow, this works great for me, you know. Um, other people, you know, listening to music, finding different hobbies, you know, exercise, anything like that. So we want folks again to find what works for them. We I don't I'm not gonna say we don't care what works for them, but it's not our prerogative to push anything on anybody. You know, if somebody comes in and you know wants to come to a meeting um, but isn't quite sure if if if they want to stop using or drinking, uh, that's totally fine. Yeah. Come on in, you know, we'll find out what you what you want, what you need in that moment, um, and we'll do our best to help you. Right. And so, you know, within that, you know, we are not, we are experts at our own experience, right? We're not experts in um, you know, in in housing and employment. But one of the things that we also do there is we help people find those resources, right? And so, you know, Hendersonville has uh a pretty, a pretty high number of of um of resources that are available for folks. And so, you know, we're connected with uh with Goodwill um and uh you know they help us with employment. So they have a good an employment specialist who will come and meet with folks, help bolster resumes, help with interview skills, help apply for jobs, not just at Goodwill, but she just works for Goodwill and um helps folks apply out uh, you know, with housing. Um housing is super difficult in Hendersonville. Yeah, for sure. Um but you know, we have some some organizations that we can refer people to. We work with the mission really closely to ensure that if folks need somewhere to be in an emergency, uh, that we you know try and help them find that. Um again through contacting the mission. We work with different organizations. If people are really interested in inpatient treatment, you know, we don't we don't navigate that, but we help uh refer people to the right place. Um and then, you know, we stay in touch with folks as they kind of go through their journey, if that's what they choose to do. And it's so amazing, like sounds kind of cliche, but yeah, to see the progress that people make uh when they, you know, when they want that recovery badly enough and they want, you know, and they've hit the point in their life where, you know, something has to change. You know, they'll go out for a 30-day program or they'll go out for a six-month program or a year and uh come back and check in. And it's just like it's amazing to hear the stories that people have. And it's also so helpful to hear them talk about the challenges that they still face. Because I think a lot of us, you know, I know for me, I remember having a conversation with somebody, and I, you know, going back to our thought about being boring, I said, is this what it's all about? Is this what sobriety is? Is it just me being? And they were like, yeah, kind of, you know. Um I was like, well, well, like what's the point? You know, and uh this was like last year sometime, but you know, I think it's so important to recognize that, like, yeah, you know, when I was when I was drinking so much, the problems didn't go away. I just went away, you know? And now I'm able to face problems and face challenges and think through things logically to get to the best answer I can. And so when we see people come back and they talk about, hey, you know, I I haven't uh, you know, I haven't drank for um six months, and you know, this is what's going really well for me. This is where I'm still struggling, and it's like awesome. Like we'll just meet you right there. Like, let's pick up where you were and see how we can support you in that.

SPEAKER_02 43:52

Yeah, yeah. That's a very interesting point about, you know, your problems don't go away, you go away, and then you wake up in the morning and then you're back, you're you're reunited with all your problems. Yeah. Sometimes more problems than you had the night the day before, because you created your own problems when drinking. Yep. And um it was it was that regret that that feeling of regret that happened one too many times. You know, at what point do you apologize and it just falls on deaf ears after a while because you've made that same promise before?

SPEAKER_01 44:30

Yeah. I uh yeah, I used to take notes the night before, before I go to bed, to make sure that I knew if I had done something, right? If I could remember enough to take a note, like, okay, uh, you know, uh dropped a plate, it broke, cleaned up, it's okay, every everybody's okay. Yeah, you know, and when in reality, like all I was doing was trying to make myself feel better. Like that did nothing to alleviate the. Stress that I was still putting on everybody else, you know. Um, but it's it's it is so true that like you know, I if I can't remember what I did the night before, then how am I gonna build any type of life with the people I care about? You know, I'm if I'm present half the time or a third of the time, like you know, my physical presence means nothing if my mind isn't there with them.

SPEAKER_00 45:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:30

What what does the average person coming into Hope Coalition look like?

SPEAKER_01 45:35

Yeah, I think uh it's it's a really, really, it's a it's a really diverse group that comes in there. I think you know, where we're located, uh, the adult center, we're located on Grove Street, South Grove Street. And so we see folks who are uh, you know, who are unhoused. We see a lot of folks who are unhoused or um who are in the in the mission, uh, who are recently released from incarceration. Um we see folks who just need to use a phone, you know. Um we see people who are looking for things that we can't provide them, you know. We have uh folks coming in there saying, Well, I need a car. And it's like, man, I don't I can't get you a car, you know, but I can let's talk about what a car looks like for you and and what is it that you really need besides car. Uh, but like, you know, I think the the average person though is is is somebody who is uh willing to be vulnerable, uh, is somebody who needs people who will believe in them. You know, I think that is a a huge piece, is that uh a lot of times folks will come in and talk about how their families won't talk to them anymore. You know, they've burned those bridges. And, you know, I think it's it's pretty amazing to kind of sometimes be that that last bridge, you know, and to help them to show them that like, yeah, you know, there are mistakes that have been made, or you feel that there are mistakes that have been made in your past and and there are consequences for those. But, you know, hard doesn't mean impossible. And there are things that that you can do, you know, uh when you do some self-examination about like, well, how are your behaviors affecting those relationships? And is it is there things that you can do to try and uh reevaluate sort of uh how you view yourself and how other people might view you too?

unknown 47:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:30

Yeah. It must be very rewarding to to see success stories and to help people break out of this um, you know, this bondage.

SPEAKER_01 47:42

For sure. I again I think just like having that firsthand knowledge of like what it feels like to be totally out of control, you know, and to know the desperation in that, to uh know that you know you have a doctor tell you, like, hey, listen, you're gonna die if you do this, and you keep doing it anyway. That is uh that's like a a a really dark place to be, you know. And so to help people gain an inch away from that cliff edge is is rewarding for sure, I think. But it's it's more like, yeah, I I would say it's yeah, it's rewarding. That's the best way to put it.

SPEAKER_02 48:25

Um the Hope Coalition has a has a very very good reputation in this area. Yeah, thanks. You all had a place called The Buzz? We did, yeah. You've re-taken over that space, I guess. Have you used that? Are you planning on doing something else with that?

SPEAKER_01 48:42

Or uh right now, so that building is is leased, right? So we were so the rec the adult center was in uh was at 101 South Grove, which is on uh first and south first and grove. That's the house, right? That was the house corner. Oh I loved the house. Um and so one of the the functions of our space is is called a peer living room. And so the house had a living room that we would meet in. Um and it just it it felt uh really authentic, right, to be in there, um, to be having conversations. And um, unfortunately, uh we were no longer able to stay in that building with the expansion going on across the street. Um, and so I think that they the county needed that building um to help with the construction there. And so the buzz ended up closing and our adult center moved down there. And it has been uh pretty lovely actually being in there. I think it was hard to envision it at first being a recovery center because when I think about that, I think about like uh, you know, really quiet spaces, um like, you know, really uh amenable lighting. Um, you know, just again, just like uh what sometimes I think about like a therapist's office, but bigger, right? Yeah. Um, but it's worked out really well because there's so much flexibility in that space. It's one big open space, as I recall from when the coffee shop is in there. It is. Um, and so it's like, you know, we still have uh seats that are around like the coffee bar if people want to hang out there if they have work to do. Um we have so many places if people need to just charge their devices, they can come in. We have uh two separate areas. We have one that we are designating the peer living room, where we have our um our uh screen where we can cast virtual meetings, but then we also have a separate area that's kind of off in a in a sunny corner where um we can have more private conversations if we need to. And then if folks want to come in and do like a one-on-one session, we have an office there if they need some privacy to discuss personal things. Yeah. Um, I did want to touch on like we started a new program uh last, well, last November is when it was really put into effect. It's called the Bridge Program. And so, you know, like we're we're really lucky to have that space down at 225 South Grove. Uh, but we have a partnership with PARD where um we have uh peer support specialists who go into the hospital and uh work with patients on the PATHS unit, which is the Psychiatric and Addictions Therapeutic Healing Services unit. And so that unit is for folks who are experiencing a mental health crisis or who are looking to detox from either alcohol or benzodiazepines, um, and they need to be medically detoxed. So again, like I, you know, I was up there for a minute uh before I got shipped out, but um, but what they're doing up there is, you know, they're having uh group meetings with folks. They're um again, like being in a hospital, they're uh really constantly attended to by nurses and doctors. And so a peer support up there is uh, I think a welcome site to a lot of folks because again, they're not coming in with a white coat, they're not there to do tests, they're there to kind of see what they need, right? And so the PAS unit um folks will stay up there between like five and seven days typically. And so part of the idea to have a peer support there is that they're able to kind of follow them out of the hospital. And so they're able to stay connected with them when they leave, um, where the you know, the social workers and the doctors and nurses, they don't, you know, and so we're able to um kind of support them beyond the paths unit. So that the idea there is to get stabilized, to get um healthy uh or as healthy as you can to be um, you know, able to be out in the general population if you're struggling with alcohol, you know, it does take a medical detox there. Um but our goal is to help get those folks to where they need to be next, right? And so a lot of folks will enter treatment after that. And so our peers will help navigate that with them. Um, or if they just need a cell phone, you know, if they need basic things. Um we see a lot of folks come from the hospital down to our adult center. Um, and that is, you know, it's called the bridge program because that is that is the connection that's made. So, you know, we connect with folks in the hospital to try and just be there for them. It's, you know, um, I've been in uh hospitals quite a bit and it's uh it's a real struggle. You know, it's it's a it's a downer to be in a hospital bed and um to have somebody come in and just want to talk to you about like what does support look like for you uh either here or when you leave, it's it is so refreshing, I think, for um people not to want to uh just give you the next dose of medication, but to really hear about what your story is.

SPEAKER_00 53:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:53

Yeah. So that's one um program that's that's been going on since November. We've seen about 200 people from that so far. Um and yeah, in our adult center so far this year, we've had a thousand folks come through or just over a thousand uh visits there. And so we're seeing um, you know, we have folks who will come in every day for three or four months or six months, and then we'll have folks who might come through once or twice uh and then we'll see them again in six months, you know. And so I think, you know, they're always welcome to come in. They're always um, there's always gonna be peers there. We uh we don't keep track of anybody's like personal data or anything like that, but we we keep notes on folks so that way, like, you know, if uh if if um you know Joe B comes in uh today and you know um needs some help with uh finding some clothes, um, you know, we'll we'll just make a note of that. And so that way the next time he comes in uh in a month or the next day or six months, um, you know, we're able to say like we're able to look back and know that that was something that he needed support with to see if that need has been met and then uh work from there. We don't want to go on to anything else until we know that a person's like foundational need or foundational reason for coming in has been met. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:17

You mentioned adults quite a bit, but you also have youth programs as well, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 55:22

We do, yeah. So we have a beautiful youth center. Uh it's called the Youth Connection Center. It's on North Justice Street. Um, so we have several different programs that uh go on in there. So that's not a drop-in center. Um, but we work closely with Henderson County Schools uh in different programs. Um we have three like pretty distinct programs. Um, alternative to Suspension is uh a program that's really taken off this year uh or this past academic year. Um that's where if a student is uh suspended for any sort of substance use in schools, um, they have the option to come and spend part of their out-of-school suspension at our at our youth center. And so if you, you know, these some of the suspensions are are pretty harsh. And so uh, well, harsh in my opinion. I know that the schools are are fighting their own battle. Um, but if a student is suspended for 10 days, um, you know, being a former teacher, I know how uh disruptive that will be overall in their academic year. And so they have the option of coming and spending three days or uh one, two, or three days at the youth center where they can um, you know, they can work on their schoolwork that their teachers send with them, but then they also do some education and diversion programming uh around substance use. Um and that also serves to cut down some of their suspension time. So they can spend a little bit of time there and then they can get back to school instead of spending two weeks at home. Yeah. Um it's amazing to think what what ages are we talking about here? Yeah, so um this is this is middle and high school. And so the alternative program is yeah, it's for middle and high school. So we see kids from all over Henderson County, and then if you know they participate in that, and that's kind of a mandated program, right? If if they choose to do that, then they're responsible for getting there and and completing that program. Um, and then we also have uh like a uh a nightly or a weekly program that's at night called Hope Rising. And again, that's for middle and high schoolers as well. And there's a number of different ways that folks get involved with that. Um sometimes it's it's uh through DJJ, sometimes it's court-ordered for kids to come. Um, but that is a program where uh youth get together facilitated by an adult, um, but where youth get together and and talk about what substance use looks like looks like in their lives, right? And so um how does it uh manifest? Like what are the what are the problems that it brings up? What are the solutions that it brings up? You know, what is the effect that has with their relationship with their parents? Um and so that's a 12-week course that uh kids can do. Um again, like it's that's for middle and high school, but they're in separate groups. So we have, you know, it got so big this year that first we had to spread it, you know, first it was one group on Monday nights, and then it became a middle group, middle school group and a high school group, and now we spread it into Monday and Wednesday nights into those two separate groups. And so the need for youth programming um around substance misuse, I think is uh is is really is really high. And I'm I'm pretty happy that uh hope is is a part of that. Um, you know, seeing uh some of the kids who who complete those uh courses, um, come back out, get back into school and and find success, I think is uh again, you know, rewarding is a great word. You know, we just had uh a couple of um students uh go to a conference with our youth services coordinator out in Wilkes County, uh, all about um, you know, what is about recovery and youth. And so uh these students are folks who went through the Hope Rising program and they were able to go out there and share their experiences. So I think the more we can um encourage students to uh just try and be open. I know it's it's it's a lot to ask for a 15-year-old to um you know to be open about your vaping use, right? I know a lot of that's a big problem that people are seeing, but I think one of the things that our youth programs encourage is not so much uh like an adult-facing program, but allowing the kids to talk to each other about how things um, yeah, about how how that substance use can progress and how it can lead to some really dark places, right? You're talking about gateway drugs or yeah, I think um, you know, I I think that um kids don't see, and you know, I mean, I'm I'm I'm one of them. I didn't see the problem. I didn't think I would ever have problems, I didn't think it would ever catch up to me, right? And so um, you know, allowing them to have an open forum where they can discuss, you know, where their uh choices have taken them, I feel like that is uh really valuable. And yeah, like a lot of these uh kids maybe have been referred by their parents, right? But those who have been referred by DJJ are you know potentially in some in some serious trouble. And so I think you know allowing them to discuss um just openly with each other about their experience provides them with different perspectives than an adult can give.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:53

Yeah. You mentioned vaping, but you you're seeing illegal drugs, you're seeing alcohol, are you seeing drugs that are quite available in our community, like Kratum and the THCA, which is the legal variant, I guess, of THC?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:12

I think I I can't speak really to like statistics or anything, but just you know, if you have a car and you drive around Hendersonville, you'll see uh a lot of neon that is promoting uh those products, right? And so I think one of the things that uh is a problem right now is is all of the advertising that's geared and flavoring that's geared towards youth. I know there was, you know, I again I can't speak to the specifics, but I know there was a uh a court case that that just was um resolved that said that uh vaping companies can, they're allowed to produce flavors uh that might be more enticing to youth. Um and so I don't think those are necessarily helpful things, but um I think it's also uh I think it's also super important for kids to know that um you know their their decisions will have consequences. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:11

I'm sure you have these kids that vape and they're probably like, well, uh at least I'm not smoking, you know. What what's what's the harm in vaping? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:20

Yeah. I I think showing them what long-term effects will do, you know, because it is sorry. Like it's really hard in the moment. You know, if you are, you know, if I go out and smoke one cigarette, it's not really gonna do anything, right? And but if I sit there and and smoke for 50 years, then you know, things add up. And so I think giving them the information right now is really what we can do. And I think providing it, you know, in at various stages in their lives, uh, you know, the hope is that if it's something that is going to be detrimental to them, that eventually that you know it it will catch on, but everybody kind of has to hit their own turning point, right? Um, and you know, our the other program that's at the youth center is called Teen Court, right? And so that is uh in uh that's run through Hope Coalition, but it is a uh it's it's like a youth court, right? So if a student again is um you know, gets caught with any sort of substance and it gets kicked up the ladder to DJJ or into like any sort of criminal territory, then they might have the option of attending teen court. And so that it's a diversion program because it keeps kids out of the um out of DJJ, uh out of like their jurisdiction, right? And so, but what kids can do is they plead guilty to what they have done, right? And give you an example of uh, yeah, so you know, if a student has uh a THC vape, right? It's you know, THC is illegal, and so they're charged criminally with um with possession, and then uh they're given the opportunity to plead guilty and to go before a jury of other youth, right? And that jury is made up of volunteers uh from the schools and also other previous defendants. So you can be um sentenced to jury duties, you can be sentenced to community service, you can be sentenced to hope rising. Um and again, it's it's these are all programs, it's set up exactly like a court would be. We have a lawyer who acts as our judge, there are attorneys, um, there's, you know, the the everybody's given the opportunity to make a statement. Um, and it's set up to look exactly like what a criminal court looks like. And so again, like the hope is that kids will see that, like, listen, you know, my actions do have consequences. Um, and yeah, 20 hours of community service uh is is a really small price to pay, I think, if they can learn a little bit about what um what it looks like if things happen down the road uh and they, you know, if they carry on with some of those behaviors.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:10

Yeah. We talked a little bit about adult recovery court um before we started recording. So that's sort of this is the precursor to to what they would experience in adult recovery court in a way.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:23

Yeah. So um, you know, I know uh Daniel Conway, who he kind of oversees adult recovery court. Um, you know, I'm sure he could give you a lot more information. But yeah, it is it is sort of similar to that in that the folks who are participants in adult recovery court, you know, they need to do a certain number of community service hours. They are required to be, you know, make court appearances, they're required to submit samples for drug testing. Uh, it's a really rigorous program. We were really lucky to be able to go to the first graduation of that a couple months ago. Um, and it was uh one of one of our peer supports old participants, so she worked with her um quite a bit as part of her treatment team. And so I just, you know, it's those are like the really rewarding moments, right? Because that is a program, adult recovery court, is is a serious investment in time and energy uh in order to complete it. And it's just it's it's remarkable, you know, that's to see the example that people can set uh when they go through a program like that, complete it, come out the other side, and um, you know, they're able to express all the different opportunities they have now as opposed to what they were facing.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:42

Yeah. Some of the most important things in life are difficult and require a lot of work. Yeah. And this is, I I think this falls into that category. This is that, you know, life changing stuff that requires a lot of work on not only your But on the on the user's part.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:01

Yeah, I think daily maintenance is uh is pretty critical, right? You know, you find what works for you, um, and uh sticking to that routine. I know in in for me, it's uh it's it's it's critical for me in my own success, I think. You know, I reading, um, you know, doing a daily meditation, all of those things help me to feel uh like I have regained a little bit of what I lost when I was um so so deeply into addiction, uh into my addiction. And so it's it is pretty wonderful to you know to have that personal journey of you know, knowing that certain coping strategies work work really well for me, some uh don't work so well. And so knowing that about myself, I feel like we're better able to serve folks at hope um with that understanding that you know take what you want and leave the rest.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:02

Yeah, yeah. Does it get easier every day?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:05

No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I think uh I think about it like I have uh two levels, right? I have this deep current that's underneath that I feel like if I can maintain the consistency and pressure in that current, then I'm doing okay because the ripples on top are always gonna change. You know, being flexible and adaptable are so critical to uh being successful in recovery because we're not able to predict and control things. You know, we can control um if we pick up a drink or if we pick up a drug, but we can't control the actions of other people. And there's gonna be all sorts of pressures and stressors that come at you uh every day. Like there's wonderful things that you will experience. There's also a lot of stress in our world. And I think um if I can, you know, for me, if I can maintain that undercurrent of uh, you know, of serenity, of calmness, then I know that the ripples on top will change and will fade uh and will look different the next day. You know, so so it gets so some days are easier, some days are super challenging, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I think um it helps me build confidence in myself to know that when a stressful situation arises or you know, I think back on, well, how would I how would I have handled this three years ago and how am I handling it now? I think that serves to remind me that you know that this growth is possible and this self-improvement is possible where I couldn't imagine this a couple years ago. I couldn't imagine ever going a day without drinking, ever. And, you know, I I was, you know, when that doctor said you're gonna die if you don't go to the emergency room and I went home, I felt like that was pretty telling as to where my head was. And so it's I find it, you know, remarkable that I'm able to sit here and talk to you about this. And I'm, you know, I'm not concerned right now with where's my next drink coming from, you know, because that is again a thought that I never thought that I would have a couple years ago. And so yeah, but it's all due to you know, support from a huge team, you know, a Hope Coalition is a huge part of that. Um, but then, you know, doctors, therapists, my family, uh, mentors, um, you know, spiritual guides, you know, surrounding yourself with, you know, I talked earlier about like feeling like addiction was like this shell that you couldn't break and nothing could get through. But surrounding yourself with like permeable support and flexible support is is very key to me. Um because I know that if I experience a day that I can't handle, or if I come into a situation that is so difficult for me to see a way out, I know that instead of picking up a drink, I know that I can call somebody and say, hey, I am experiencing this and I need your help. And, you know, to have people that believe in you is beyond critical, you know, and a peer support at hope provides that. You know, every day we get calls from people who say, Hey, I'm in a situation and I don't know what to do. And they know that they can call a peer support at hope and they can get a compassionate ear, and they can find um, hopefully find some peace within themselves in that situation to make the next right choice.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:59

Yeah. Because to see, you know, everything that you went through and knowing that you had people in your life and your family, your loved ones, and you it sounds like you had some faith as well. There's a lot of people that don't have any of that. And so hope coalition forms that that support system, that family, that that yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:21

I I think again, yeah, just having a number you can call and you know that you know the person on the other end isn't there to judge or to tell you, you know, well, I told you so, or what what have you. It's they're just there to listen and and support. Like that's again, it's just it's so monumental to have that if you're in that situation where your family has given up, you know, to have someone to call uh and not feel alone in that desperation or in in that moment of like, hey, I'm either picking up a drink or I'm calling you. Um and you know, if a peer has the lived experience of being on that end, they know that how hard it was to call instead of pick up the drink.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:07

Yeah, you know. Yeah. How do they call you?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:10

How do they contact you and and set up an appointment or oh yeah, so um so for our our uh adult services, uh like I said, we're located at 225 South Grove Street. Uh we share a parking lot with TIE Spice. So it's uh that's kind of what we tell people if they're having a hard time finding us. Um but yeah, they can drop in anytime, Monday to Friday, 8 to 4. Um, they can follow our social media. We're on Facebook and Instagram. If you just search for um like Hope Coalition or Hope Coalition Recovery Center, um that'll come up. We post updates there. Uh they can call us. I'll have to, I'll I'll send you the number. I can't think of it off the top of my head. I apologize. Okay. Um but yeah, anytime, you know, that's how people come in. Uh always. Yeah, drop-in. Yeah, it is a great way. It's awesome. Yeah. No judgment zone. Zero judgment. Yeah. Zero judgment. That's that's critical.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:03

Yeah. Um, but yeah, the only thing we ask is when um somebody comes in, if they'll just fill out like a short intake for us. Uh it kind of gives us just a little snapshot of who we're working with, um, kind of what their most immediate need is. So that way uh we can try and gear our conversation to be the most effective that it can be in the time we have to spend with them. Yeah. Completely free. Completely free. Don't show us any insurance, don't do anything. You just walk in.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:32

Yeah. Even if you just suspect that you might have a problem.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:37

Yeah. Come in and absolutely come in, check in. You know, we're there, I think, for folks. If you are suspicious or, you know, you have some suspicions amongst yourselves that, like, yeah, there might be uh, you know, a reason for me to seek some support. If you are in recovery, uh, you've been in recovery for 30 years, and you feel like, hey, I just need to go talk to somebody who also is in this boat, like, come on in. If you're somebody who just wants to explore uh what we do, you're welcome to come in. There's like, yeah, there's no real um, there's no type of person that we're looking for. We want to make sure that uh, you know, we're available and um that we are uh again just like open for people. Yeah. Um I'm super happy to have been able to just sit down for a little bit and and share uh some of my own story and what kind of what hope has meant to me, and then a little bit about what our programs uh offer to folks. But you know, I I think again, the main thing to remember is that, you know, Henderson County has resources for folks. Uh we're not a huge city, we're not a you know, a metropolis, but there's a ton of resources for folks who are struggling either with substance misuse or their mental health. I just so encourage people to to reach out if they need support. It's incredibly scary and it is a leap into the unknown often, but um more than likely, you know, you'll land on your feet uh and it's gonna be uh uh some hard work. But if you're committed to it, then um, you know, recovery is totally possible.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:16

Yeah. You know, it's something that you see you you see the tentacles of of the problem every day. You know, the this nation clearly has a drug problem. There, there's no doubt about that. You know, just walking around downtown Hendersonville, you know, it's it's so tricky with with the um you know the drugs that are legal and and whether the whether or not they're gateways to to bigger or worse drugs is is uh you know a source of debate. But you know, for alcohol, for sure, you know, it's it's so socially acceptable, um, it's so prevalent. It it's I I do realize that younger people aren't gravitating towards alcohol as much as they used to. Right. But still, you know, booze is everywhere, drugs are everywhere. It's it's um, man, it's it's something that we we need to um we we need to unite over and and you know sometimes we need to be other people's family and support groups to help them get through this. So it's very commendable um what you all are doing.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:23

No, we we're just so appreciative to be a part of this community, I think. Um, you know, I think Hendersonville is is our town, and uh we really want to make sure that um everybody who's living here, regardless of your uh situation, um, you know, feels feels supported. And so, you know, that's our that's our goal. We want to want people to feel heard and just feel like people. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:46

Well, Patrick, thank you so much for sharing your story. That took a lot of courage to do that. Congratulations on on breaking through and keep up the great work.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:55

Oh, I I appreciate it so much. Yeah. Anyone who needs more information or again needs some support, we're we're there for you. Thank you, Patrick. You got it. We appreciate it. Thanks.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:15

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SPEAKER_03 1:18:54

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