11/20/2025
Thanks for the work you're doing.🙏. It's much needed, and needs to be talked about more and more and more!
I hope we can soon eliminate the stigma around mental health illnesses like addiction. It saddens me to live in a society that justifies the consumption of alcohol while condemning the consumption of other drugs. The hypocrisy is baffling.
If we can consume alcohol in "bars & restaurants," why can't we create similarly civilized places to consume other drugs safely? Using a prohibition/abstinence approach just further discriminates against a vulnerable population.
Imagine a world that provides safe places where people can be seen as fellow humans who are self-medicating the pain of their lives... where humans in crisis can potentially connect with their fellow humans to build a relationship that might help them create a plan for a better life. Imagine what a world that could be. 🤔
Peer Supporr vs EAPs
1. Lived Experience = Immediate Credibility
Peer Support workers have been there! Addiction, mental health struggles, trauma, relapse, rebuilding.
That creates trust faster than an EAP counsellor who may be clinically trained but hasn’t experienced those realities firsthand.
People open up quicker when they feel understood, not assessed.
2. EAPs Are Short-Term ☆☆Peer Support Is Ongoing
EAP sessions are usually:
Time-limited
Scheduled around work hours
Focused on short-term intervention
Peer Support offers:
Flexible, ongoing contact
Texting, drop-ins, follow-ups
Support through setbacks, not just sessions
It’s practical because life doesn’t fit into 6 free appointments.
3. Peer Support Works in Real Life, Not Just Offices
EAPs typically take place in clinical or corporate environments.
Peer Support can meet people:
In the community
At coffee shops
At recovery meetings
During stressful life moments
This makes it more practical for someone in active stress, addiction recovery, or a crisis.
4. Zero Stigma / Zero HR Barriers
Many employees won’t use EAPs because they fear:
HR finding out
Being labelled “unstable”
Professional consequences
Peer Support is independent, confidential, and stigma-free, which means people are more likely to actually use it.
5. Focuses on What People Need Right Now
EAPs often follow structured clinical protocols.
Peer Support focuses on:
Safety
Connection
Harm reduction
Coping tools
Real-time problem solving
It’s practical because it meets people exactly where they’re at, not where the program expects them to be.
6. Relationship-Based vs. Appointment-Based
EAP = scheduled, formal, distant
Peer Support = relational, human, responsive
The strength of the relationship is the intervention.
7. Navigating Systems Is Easier With Peer Support
EAP counselling alone can’t fix:
Housing stress
Detox waitlists
Doctor access
Transportation
Financial stress
Relapse risk
Trauma responses
Peer Support can walk with them:
Help them call detox
Attend appointments
Build routines
Create safety plans
Support sobriety day-to-day
It’s practical because it’s hands-on support, not just talk therapy.
Bottom Line
EAPs are a resource.
Peer Support is a relationship.
One gives you sessions.
The other gives you someone who understands, stays with you, and helps you move forward in real time.