The impact of peer support in addiction recovery is far greater than we could ever measure. Our staff has cultivated mutually beneficial relationships with community recovery support groups to introduce clients to the 12-Step Program and inspire lasting change. We facilitate this in the form of H&I meetings.

What Happens During H&I Meetings at Briarwood?

We host H&I meetings at Briarwood Detox Center in Houston and Austin once daily, although sometimes they may occur twice in a day. Speakers come to our facility on their own or with a small group and use their visit to talk to our clients about recovery. We host male and female speakers of various backgrounds, ages, and cultures, so all our detox clients have someone they can relate to.

During the meeting, the speaker(s) share their own personal recovery experience with detox clients: what it was like when they were addicted, what happened, and what life is like now, all while highly emphasizing recovery. In sharing their personal story, they are able to bring hope and strength to individuals who may have none. Some of our H&I meetings also include live music or poetry, performed by the H&I speakers themselves.

Why H&I Meetings?

Hearing about recovery and sobriety for the first time is often a powerful thing. Our detox clients all have diverse life experiences and histories with addiction. Some may be fighting an ongoing battle with chronic relapse while others may be trying to get sober for the first time. H&I meetings not only introduce them all to the 12-Step Program, but they plant a seed of hope and show people what’s possible in recovery, despite what has happened in the past.

Drug and alcohol detox can be a challenging and difficult time for some clients, but there is therapeutic value in one addict helping another. Sharing a personal story of addiction and recovery can provide a glimmer of hope that there just might be a better way to live on the other side of addiction. As detox clients watch other people who once struggled like them radiate with the desire to change, they may find themselves inspired and ready to ignite that same change in their own lives.

The overall purpose of H&I meetings is rooted in the principles of the 12-Step Program, particularly step 12:

“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

This final step reinforces the idea that people in recovery are supremely qualified to help others who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. They can help people in detox begin to establish some confidence that they are capable of getting sober and living a happy life without drugs or alcohol.

H&I Benefits for Detox Clients

We believe H&I meetings are an important part of the daily regimen for detox clients at Briarwood because they provide a wealth of short-term and long-term benefits, including:

• Encouragement during a difficult time
• Motivation to continue treatment
• Inspiration
• Introduction to NA and the 12-Step Program
• Sponsor connections

If you have additional questions about H&I meetings at Briarwood Detox Center, please call (888) 857-0557 to speak with a member of our admissions team.

For more information about coordinating H&I meetings with Briarwood Detox Center, please contact Tabatha LaMere at 512-516-3178 or tabatha.lamere@novarecoverycenter.com.