Guest contributor, Noel DeLeon, Community Engagement Specialist, gives us an update from the CLEAR team and the LCOTF.
April 10, 2024
Connection is a cornerstone of the human experience and is integral for our mental and physical wellbeing. Whether it’s the bond formed with loved ones or our favorite teddy bear, connection plays a pivotal role in our early childhood and remains ever present throughout our entire lives. The absence or removal of a connection can have severe repercussions as feelings of loneliness very quickly become feelings of depression and isolation.
All too often in our society, the stigma that surrounds substance use leads to family members and friends “cutting off” individuals that struggle with a substance use disorder. When those connections are severed, the negative emotions that replace them become the impetus for continued usage and, in some cases, even heavier usage. The thought that no one cares and that you don’t matter becomes another pain to numb, another hurt to bury.
All too often in our society, the stigma that surrounds substance use leads to family members and friends “cutting off” individuals that struggle with a substance use disorder. When those connections are severed, the negative emotions that replace them become the impetus for continued usage and, in some cases, even heavier usage. The thought that no one cares and that you don’t matter becomes another pain to numb, another hurt to bury.
Every day, to ensure the individuals in our community get the help and support they need, service providers and outreach teams alike pick up the severed connections and illustrate through action that our community matters –that every life has worth and that every life is precious. We meet individuals where they are and offer judgement-free, compassionate bonds. We create space for the folks we serve to feel seen, heard, and respected. We give them an opportunity to express their thoughts and emotions, offering not just connection but validation. Validation that their traumas exist and that their story is their truth.
On multiple occasions throughout the past month at every rover site or community outreach, at least one person would approach a member of our team and thank us for being there, for taking the time to listen, for offering support and assistance without any strings attached or abstinence-based agenda. On our overdose responses, families as well as the individuals we went to see offered their thanks and shared their surprise that teams like ours exist. The connections made on these responses create a pathway to the services that those individuals may be hesitant to utilize.
Connection also serves as a conduit for our team’s self-care. In order to process all of the pain and sorrow our team absorbs, we connect with each other and have difficult conversations. We connect with counselors to work through the trauma we see and hear to better understand the emotions it evokes in us. Sometimes we even connect with a good book and some tea to help us relax after an eventful day.
Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
That quote has stuck with me for quite some time now and every time I think of it, I’m reminded that my team – and others like it – live that truth. We go out and remind folks that they aren’t alone, that they are loved, and that we will walk alongside them in whatever pathway to wellness they choose. We strive to make the connection that carries the potential to make a difference. I hope that someday we all realize what I believe Dr. King was trying to share, that together is the only way forward.