One day several years ago one of our new clients was assigned to help paint an empty room at one of our facilities. The man, who had been sober for only a few days, was not happy about the assignment. He took his time while doing the job and was not all interested in the project. Finally the crew leader asked what was going on with him.

"I just don't understand what this job has to do with recovery," the client said.

"You're not drinking or drugging are you?" asked the crew leader.

"Of course not," responded the client.

"Well if you're not using right now," said the crew leader, "then you're working on your recovery."

The crew leader, a client of our program who'd been in recovery for a while, was making the point that recovery is not always about being in a group, or in a counseling session. For those of us at TLC one of the primary components of recovery is getting some time clean and sober. We believe that it takes time for us to clear our heads and start feeling good again. Doing chores and maintenance around the facility is a small step toward helping our clients build self-esteem.

Normally after three days, once a new client has completed his orientation into the program, he goes out on his own looking for employment. With three days of positive activity under his belt it is more likely that he will develop the confidence to look for a job.

One of the strong points of our program is that it consists of addicts helping other addicts. Sometimes alcoholics and addicts resent having professionals tell them what to do. After all many of them have been rebels for much of their life. But when another addict tells them how they stayed sober for a month, six months, or a year, the newcomer finds an example he can use in his own life.

To me, that's what peer counseling is all about.