Gambling can be exciting and entertaining, whether it’s a night out with friends or a little thrill online. But how do you know when fun turns into something else?
Before I really understood what a peer specialist was, my opinion was made up by someone else.
“Why would you pay a sponsor?” I heard a researcher scoff during a lab meeting. He was referring to sponsorship — the volunteer exchange of support rooted in recovery, found in the rooms of 12-step groups. He recoiled at the idea of compensating someone for empathy, accountability, and advice. And if that’s all peer specialists did, why pay them?
As long as I can remember, I struggled with feelings of not being good enough and overwhelming concerns about what other people thought of me. I always felt people didn't like me very much, making me feel unseen. I developed severe social anxiety, and the fear of failing or being rejected stopped me from pursuing opportunities to learn and grow.