Shelly Metzger

Why did you want to become a Peer Recovery Coach?

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To offer hope to others struggling with SUD, AUD, Mental Health disorders, dealing with Parental Alianation Syndrome, eating disorder and more. Coming from a traumatic background, I struggled with a severe eating disorder, anxiety disorder mixed with alcohol and drugs at age 15.  I recieved that help I needed and in my early twenties I overcame my lifelong eating disorder struggle. 

 

What does Recovery look like to you?

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Recovery is about learning to trust again, having relationship with people who hold me accountable and assist me with becoming the person God created me to be.  Recovery is having God as my foundation, finding balance in my life and releasing my anxiety to him and not trying to control everything.

 

What is your favorite part about being a Peer Recovery Coach?

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Meeting people where they are, listening to their story and being allowed the opportunity to assist them in their recovery journey! 

 

What do you like to do for fun?

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Horseback riding, stand up paddle boarding, snowboarding, mountain biking, boating, hiking, cross country skiing, tennis, SoulFusion, Strong, Bungee fitness, Trapeze yoga, watercolor, going out to eat, and spending time with my family and close friends. 

 

What does it mean to you to work at LITE?

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I am honored to work at LITE.  Tammy and Chris believe in me, Tammy has been a huge encouragement to me over the past five years.  LITE allows me to be an individual.  They do not want cookie cutter employees.  I feel valued at LITE.  LITE is a great organization that has helped som many in our community and I am happy to be a part of it!

 

How do you use your story to help those with who you work with?

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Coming from a traumatic childhood (Growing up in Parental Alienation Syndrome), my eating disorder, anxiety disorder, and use of alcohol and drug use to numb my pain.  Parts of my story can find common ground with many. 

 

I want you to imagine that you are the great-great-grandmother/grandfather that you dream of being, and you’ve created everything you wanted to create in your life. You’ve accomplished all the dreams, all the big goals that you’ve set. You’ve made them happen. You’ve got the family of your dreams. You’ve done it all. But you have to take everything with you. You have to take everything with you so that no one has access to your information anymore…all your social media content, journals, etc, it’s all gone. But you get to write down the three things you know to be true about your life, the lessons you would leave behind. All people would have to remember you by are these lessons.

 

What would you say are your three truths? From the top of your head… What lessons would you want people to take away from your life?

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1. I had Christ as my foundation in my life, and I lived to serve him.

2. I was forgiving and did not hold onto resentment even though it was a struggle at times. 

3. I lived to serve others.