who had gone through their own situation, Chris, volunteered with MADD to offer peer support. When he gets connected to other people, he shares his experience but also provides suggestions that helped him and might help them. Some of the things he speaks about is to find an outlet for your frustration because it is going to happen. Find a safe place to yell, punch a pillow, let that anger out when it fills you up. Also find that one person who can put their own emotions aside and just be there for you each day - someone who can say – what do you need today and try to help. Recently he participated in the MADD Injured Victim/ Survivor support group, and he said it was a way he could see when someone was tense, see where support could be provided and provide a perspective that there is hope through healing. You might come out the other side stronger than you could have imagined. At the same, it’s so unique for every person, that we recognize even hearing the word hope and healing can be triggering to those who are in so much pain.
Chris says, much like we have heard from so many others at MADD – that it isn’t a club we wanted to a part of or asked to be a part of, but everyone in the club knows what you are going through. The different stages and getting that support from people who have experienced it, is a new experience, when you are around them – when you speak to family and friends who don’t get it. They think, “you are still alive, you are fine. You have bumps and bruises but you are OK.” They don’t really understand. At MADD and through each other, whether it’s a one-on- one peer support volunteer or through an online support group, or through our amazing private Facebook group for victims and survivors. The connections made between peers is something you can’t replace. As we look towards a future of No More Victims®- MADD will be here to be a bridge between those peer connections.
“ Every aspect of a person’s life is impacted after a crash, things that people could never imagine are now a harsh reality. ”
December 2021 17
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