b'Matts life was more than challenging, in manymonths, as he could talk completely candidlyPUTTING LIFE ways. At 38, he suffered from years of chronicwith someone who gets it, someone whopain and mental health challenges, and heunderstands the challenges to recovery asBACK TOGETHER, was unable to work. His using buddies well as the positive outcomes to lookwere pretty much the extent of his socialforward to. PIECE BY PIECEconnections.Matt also got a lot of help with understanding As he ruefully recalls, ever since his teen yearsthe why and how of addiction. For thehis whole life had revolved around drugs. Infirst time, he fully grasped the whytheOctober 2020 he overdosed and landed in theintertwined nature of his chronic physical hospital, where over the course of a five-daypain, his anxiety and depression, and his stay he realized, This isnt fun anymore.Headdiction struggles. And Riversides culture of recognized the Riverside name on a list ofcommunity in the recovery journey offered local recovery programs given to him athim the howways he could cope with and dischargemore importantly, he recognizedlearn to live with the why.that he was ready to make a real change.Now one year sober, Matt notes that his life Matt was quickly brought on board at is coming together piece by piece.He feels Riversides Connect2Recovery program. wrapped with support rather than weighed Beginning with group counseling, he met down by stigma. And he came to view himself Matt credits peer coaches from Riversidesothers like himself who were trying to becomeas someone with a disability, and not a defect. Connect2Recovery as key to his recovery.sober and healthy.He then met RiversideHes now doing some project work with an recovery coaches who shared with him theireye toward future employment, asown struggles with addiction and journeys well as helping a friend from the oldto recovery. Matt maintains that thesedays who is also trying to become Riverside is like a group of friends.connections were the key to being able tosoberwith Matts steadfast support. My counselors and coaches all talk maintain his sobriety, especially in the earlyto me like a person, not a patient.Connect2Recovery is Riversides supportive approach to helping people achieve not only recovery from substance addiction, but overall5wellness in terms of a healthy quality of life by eliminating barriers to recovery and supporting an individuals chosen pathway of recovery.'