Eugene Molina, Program Peer Recovery Specialist and Group Facilitator at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) shares how being in recovery from substance use or mental health issues helps heal the brain and can even be fun. Eugene is a Registered Peer Support Specialist as well as an Integrated-Forensic Peer Recovery Specialist and is an active member of the CSB’s recovery and peer support services.
Q. What is a Peer Recovery Specialist?
A. We’re trained professionals who use our own lived experience to support people working on their substance use or mental health recovery. We offer guidance, encouragement and practical help in many different circumstances. We don’t advise. We don’t tell you what to do. We walk alongside others going through similar experiences. We have been through many of the same struggles, which allows us to meet people where they are without judgment.
Q. How do you define recovery?
A. To me, recovery is not just the absence of substance or symptoms, it’s the process of becoming the person you were always capable of being.
Q. If someone’s recovery feels difficult, why should they be open to having fun?
A. It’s all about dopamine, a chemical in our brain that helps us feel motivated, focused and rewarded when we do something enjoyable or accomplish a goal. A lot of what we’re talking about revolves around dopamine. By having more fun and more connection, our brain begins to heal around the pathways where dopamine and other functions were imbalanced.
One day at a time, we learn to be comfortable with discomfort. It can feel like a challenge at first to find new ways to enjoy yourself and others, but you have to get out there and practice the new skills that you’re learning.
Q. What does it mean to have fun in recovery?
A. When you’re new to recovery and you’re trying to figure out who you are now, your identity can become heavily focused on recovery, and that can become exhausting. Treat your recovery journey like an adventure! It doesn’t need to become a task or a burden. That’s the joy of it — the unexpected and the unknown.
Recovery allowed me to feel what it feels like to be human again. Getting to rediscover pizza was an immense joy! I really enjoy the burnt crust. I really enjoy the cheese. It’s a new experience that I didn’t know I was missing.
Q. What are some of your favorite things to do in the summer for fun?
A. I am a Civil War nut, so I’ve been going to all of the battlefields. I love Bull Run. I know Bull Run like the back of my hand. I also love to go antiquing and go to historic towns. I overlooked these special opportunities before when I wasn’t in recovery. Finding something new, or old, that interests you is a great place to start.
Q. Summer can be a time for a lot of celebrations and parties. How do you handle that and what advice do you have for others?
A. My first summer in recovery I was very aware of the people, places and things I surrounded myself with. Now, I stay well within my boundaries across different environments.
If you’re looking to have more fun while in recovery, make sure you have a solid support system. That might mean having a sponsor on speed dial or sharing with the party host that you’re in recovery. You also don’t have to share about your recovery if you’re not ready for that. Always have a backup plan and an escape route in place before you go somewhere where temptations may arise.
Q. What can you share about getting the most out of engaging with a recovery community?
A. It’s a very, very special community. There is moral support 24/7. There’s always a BBQ, a concert, some type of fun gathering that is specifically offered for people in recovery. You’ll be connected with like-minded individuals who are walking a very similar path to your own.
Q. What role do CSB Peer Support Specialists play in supporting folks through tempting seasons like summertime and the holidays?
A. We bring our lived experience front and center. We’re sharing how we’re having fun, practicing boundaries and how we’re living our own adventure one day at a time.
Accessing Peer Support Services at the CSB
You don’t have to be using CSB services to get peer support. It’s free to Fairfax County residents.
To access Peer Support, call the Peer Outreach Response Team at 703-559-3199, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can also walk in during these times at the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health and ask to speak with a peer.
Contact for media inquiries: CSBCommunications@fairfaxcounty.gov