SAUGUS— Local Nick McLeod is working hard to create a space for youths in town and across the Northeast with the help of Massachusetts Young People in Recovery (MyPIR).
“I’m 29, and I’m a young adult regional peer recovery specialist for MyPIR. I started with MyPIR in November. My group is called the Recovery Roundtable, and it takes place every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Saugus You and Recreation Center, which is located at 400 Central St.,” McLeod said. Sessions can also be joined through Zoom.
He explained that it is a space for young adults in recovery to come together, have a warm meal with each other, and discuss their recoveries in a group of supportive people in a judgment-free zone.
When asked what got him involved in recovery, McLeod said, “I’ve been in recovery for two years. I struggled as a young adult with substance use, and it was really hard for me without knowing what peer support even was…Once I was deeper into my recovery and was in the position to help other people, I really wanted to get involved in peer support because it was so important in my recovery.”
McLeod has seen growth in the roundtable meetings, with the first groups being small and the most recent having 10 members.
“It’s really nice to see the support when you feel like you’re alone and there’s no one relating to you, seeing a group full of people all nodding their head and affirming that they understand what you’re going through…I think it’s going to go a long way for combating the stigma,” he said.
McLeod thought of the roundtable because he wanted to create a space where everyone could be included. “I want them to feel welcomed and open, so that’s the concept,” he said. “I want everyone to feel like they have a spot at the table and have a voice. I hope to eventually incorporate more round tables throughout our locations.”
Paul Smith, the interim program director for MyPIR, was adamant that everyone’s voices were important in what they do at the program due to it being a peer support program.
“Everyone on staff has lived experience, and the program was born out of this committee that started in the Metro West region…The goal in every region is to have these little roundtables or committees, or a peer voices team… It’s a fundamental part of what we do and what we’re trying to create across the country,” Smith said.
This is MyPIR’s third year in operation. They received a statewide grant issued to Program Director Haley Barbieri and began at the New Way Recovery Center in Quincy.
“I was a peer,” Smith said. “I was living in sober living…I was less than two years into my recovery. We joined up with other people who were new to recovery, and we started to plan events like Tree Top Adventures in Canton and Dave and Busters.”
These events were ways people could come together, especially those new to recovery, and find a way to connect with others on the same path.
McLeod went into how peer recovery had affected him during the beginning of his recovery and beyond. “The support from my peers was the most driving thing in my recovery, and it really got me through a lot,” he said.
Smith also spoke on how peer support helped him, saying, “For me, there’s something really powerful about hearing some truth from somebody that you can see yourself in.”
Smith explained how hearing advice from a friend who has experience was different from hearing it from parents, mentors, or loved ones.
“It’s a cliche, but they say the opposite of addiction is connection…That isolating experience of being in active addiction, feeling alone, even when you’re around a ton of people, feeling like you’re doing it because that’s what everyone else is doing,” he said.
McLeod was born and raised in Saugus, and he believes it’s important to have more support groups in the area. “There’s definitely a need for support groups like this there,” he said.
Smith believes that pushing the program forward and remaining visible through social media and groups like the roundtable will help get rid of some of the stigma around addiction.
“Anonymity is still important for a lot of people because that stigma does exist, and that’s what there are these anonymous movements,” he said. “The idea that their anonymity needs to be protected because they will be looked at as defective or at fault…In reality, recovery is such a great strength to turn it around, find recovery, and be confident in that recovery.
MyPIR continues its goal of being visible and reachable with the hope that more people can begin their journeys in recovery.
MyPIR can be reached at their office number, 617-657-1031, their website https://mypir.org/, on Facebook at MA Young People in Recovery, and on Instagram at ma_youngpeopleinrecovery. Their Quincy office is located at 85 Quincy Ave, Quincy, MA.
