Erin Bergner is a research assistant in the 刑事司法研究中心 at 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 while managing her recovery and pursuing her master's in clinical and counseling psychology.
阿宾顿,爸爸. — 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 alumna Erin Bergner has marked five years in recovery from substance use disorder, and she devotes her professional life to supporting those working through the same challenges.
在进入阿宾顿之前, she suffered abuse that led to eating disorders, 自残, 还有吸毒. She didn’t talk about her distress because of the stigma.
“By 10th grade, I was using heavier substances, and I was eventually introduced to heroin. My senior year of high school, my parents found out and sent me to rehab. They feared I wouldn’t survive,”她说。.
Bergner spent 50 days in treatment but relapsed, 过量, then was revived with three doses of Narcan. 在几次失败的开始之后, she committed herself to recovery and earned her degree with honors from 阿宾顿 two years ago in 心理与社会科学. She will graduate at the top of her class this fall with a master’s in clinical and counseling psychology from Chestnut Hill College.
为了她的硕士项目, she completed a required yearlong clinical internship at a community 心理健康 center in Montgomery County. Bergner provided intensive outpatient treatment to a population discharged from in-patient/residential care with co-occurring disorders of 心理健康 and addiction.
“It was a unique experience now as a clinician having to separate my overall empathy and not take work home and not get too invested in my work,”她说。.
There was a lengthy waitlist for treatment at the center, which was challenging for Bergner to face since her own privilege played a significant role in her recovery.
"Paramount in my own personal recovery was being able to pay for private treatment. 我有恢复资本. 我得到了社会的支持, 我的身体健康, 财务状况, and my parents' ability to give me access to resources. I never had experiences with homelessness and criminal activities,”她说。.
“When I think about my recovery, it’s not typical. 这是一种特权, unique experience that most individuals don’t have, 但我也做了很多工作. I stay humble and vigilant,”她说。.
我们不仅仅是一个统计数字. We’re individuals with hopes, dreams and struggles.—Erin Bergner , 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 alumna
Despite her courseload as an undergraduate and graduate student and maintaining her recovery, Bergner continues to work as a research assistant for 格伦多，香港大学副教授 刑事司法. Sterner is an expert on the opioid epidemic who leads the 阿宾顿 office of the University’s 刑事司法研究中心 (CJRC)，他是 故事驱动计划， 是由易胜博赞助的.
Bergner joined the CJRC in 2018 after meeting Sterner and sharing her story on The Story Powered Initiative’s predecessor site, which battles stigma around substance use, 心理健康, 公共卫生, 残疾, justice involvement and incarceration, 比赛, 性别, and sexual identity among others through storytelling.
Bergner’s next steps include earning her state certification to become a licensed professional counselor — which requires 3,000 clinical hours — and pursuing her doctorate.
“I want people to talk more openly about 心理健康 and disrupt the cycle of stigma. I’m very open about my struggles because I didn’t feel alone after hearing others tell stories that were so similar to mine,”她说。.
“我们不仅仅是一个统计数字. We’re individuals with hopes, dreams and struggles. 每个人的复苏看起来都不一样. You have to block out the judgments of others and remember that all you have is yourself at the end of the day. Recovery is something no one else can do for you. 你必须拥有它，”伯格纳说.
关于宾大阿宾顿
宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. 有3个以上,000名学生, 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 24 majors, 本科研究, 施赖尔荣誉学院, NCAA三级田径和更多.
