The Rise of Lived Experience

People used to preach that addiction meant you were broken,
But now there’s a movement proving recovery is louder than any stigma spoken.

People once claimed addiction was a moral flaw,
Yet they’re showing that what heals is connection — not judgement, not law.

Then came Dame Carol Black, echoing what communities already knew:
That lived experience belongs at the centre of everything we do.

Recovery isn’t a building or a programme someone attends
It’s the belonging, the relationships, the space and the chance to mend.

She proclaimed that people’s lived experience must shape the system’s redesign,
Because healing begins when every voice is heard and aligned.

And because a system can’t heal if the people aren’t heard,
Their wisdom is power, not a footnote or a kind word.

So, a selected few who were looking for solutions
Decided to create a recovery revolution

Groups with lived experience who’d carved the way before,
Who set about creating a CLERO network where no one stands outside the door.

Not tokenistic add-ons, the system could choose,
But architects shaping the path they once had to lose.

They’re not just here for targets, they’re here for people,
In their quest for dignity, truth, and to create a world that’s more equal.

No more waiting for permission from the authority
They stand firm, rooted deep in their own autonomy.

They’re walking back into communities that once slammed the door,
Where judgment was heavy, and hope was knocked to the floor.

Now they step back in, rooted to the core,
Lighting up spaces that dimmed them before.

They may not get it perfect every day,
But their hearts are steady, and they’re not in it for the pay.

If you’re not convinced, just look around
There are more and more LEROs pushing up through hardened ground.

Inclusive Recovery Cities are beginning to form,
Where healing is culture, not just about reform.

Lived experience is leading with power and grace,
Turning every street corner into a healing place.

So, here’s to the fighters who pushed this breakthrough,
To the lived experience leaders who always knew.

Who are shifting the system from the inside through,
Turning old barriers into something brand new.

This is our moment, fierce in its view
A recovery movement unstoppable and long overdue.

 

Love Fordy

AKA UnapologeticWriter