“My impact depends on the day”, says Betsy G., Licensed Clinical Social Worker and OMAT Team Lead.
When I started talking to Betsy, we bonded over curly hair problems. Our conversation was light, funny, spontaneous. I almost felt like I was talking to a friend of many years, the words flowing with ease, her eyes fixed on mine, inquisitive yet welcoming of my silence on issues I seldom discuss.
Not gonna lie, with the weight of the past few weeks’ news, I have been walking around in a fog. I came into the clinic for the workshop and felt a bit of a disconnect, and maybe I’m projecting a little, but I felt it from others as well. Until Betsy walked in the room. She quickly made people feel comfortable just with her presence, and welcomed a couple of new faces with a warm smile.
When Frank started to explain the idea for the new mural, and distributing art supplies, the flow of energy returned to normal. “Normal” - what is our normal? I guess I equate that with a sense of wellbeing, peaceful and creative moment after moment.
I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes with Betsy, asking questions, receiving honest answers. Betsy is not interested in the least in getting any recognition for her work, and made it very clear that her focus is on the people who walk through the clinic’s doors. She wants everyone to know how strong, resilient, inspiring these wonderful people are - they are survivors.
There is a stigma that is associated with addiction, and that is that addiction is a choice. Once you debunk that notion and separate the person from the behavior, you’re capable of seeing the human being in front of you. And it starts with that person first.
Addiction is not a sin, a shameful secret to be carried alone. It is a “very complex response to trauma, to suffering” - Dr. Gabor Maté.
Prevention, compassion, a medical and human understanding of who is prone to addiction. That’s where Betsy finds her purpose. She gets up every morning looking forward to seeing her clients and isn’t that the universal need? To be seen. Everyone’s need is the same, to connect, to be seen. But how can you be seen when you carry around such an enormous amount of shame? Betsy’s work begins with reflecting back who she sees, the strong person who came in for help, the determined human being who is not helpless and is instead incredibly resilient. It starts with an understanding of who you really are, and when you have nobody reminding you of the light that you can shine, that light dims. Self actualization is hard for people who have an addiction… it takes someone like Betsy to remind you of the light you have inside, your inherent potential, your great strength that made you survive.
And that sentiment is carried by all the clinic’s staff I have met so far. “We’re all in this together” is something I have heard over and over, and I’m finally beginning to understand.
So, here’s to bringing some light to the people who need to be seen, who need an encouraging word, a reminder of who they truly are. Here’s to connection, healing, potential. Here’s to the human experience made so much better by people who care and make an impact every day.
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