By Lilli Dwyer
InkFreeNews

MILFORD — Terra Trytko went through many ups and downs to get to where she is today, supporting others in their recovery journeys through Living In Transition Effectively in Milford.

The South Bend native met L.I.T.E. Executive Director Tammy Cotton while serving time in the Kosciusko County Jail. When she was released, Cotton helped her apply to the Serenity House and Trytko later started attending the L.I.T.E. Recovery Cafe each week.

Trytko had gotten her GED in 1998 and went on to earn degrees in therapeutic massage and health and wellness. In this new chapter of her life, she wanted to became a certified peer support professional.

“I actually looked into becoming a recovery coach, and I had called Tammy because I wasn’t sure how to get involved, and she pointed me in the right direction,” Trytko recalled.

Trytko underwent training and was officially certified last July. She’s been with L.I.T.E. as a

Certified Peer Support Professional Terra Trytko is shown with a naloxone box at Living In Transition Effectively’s headquarters in Milford. Trytko helps people who come to LITE for recovery work toward their goals. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

CPSP for the past six months.

While lived experience with addiction is not strictly necessary to be a CPSP, Trytko said, “it helps on many different levels.” She also believes the experience can come from different angles, either in one’s own life or from living with family members, who struggle with addiction.

“I always found, for me, that if I went to a counselor or therapist, who was also in recovery, they could really connect with me and identify with me,” she explained. “Not that learning out of the book isn’t beneficial, but when you’ve physically been there, you can better connect with the helplessness, the hopelessness, the loneliness.”

L.I.T.E. serves Kosciusko, Fulton, Marshall, Miami, Wabash, Huntington, Cass, St. Joseph, and Elkhart counties. As such, Trytko is often on the go visiting clients.

“Peer support is really peer led. … We help a lot with setting goals, whether it be financial, setting boundaries in relationships with family, work … I ask a lot of open-ended questions, trying to get them to think about where they are in recovery, where they want to be and how I can help them get there,” she explained.

Trytko finds it can be challenging to remember that she cannot do the work of recovery for her clients.

“I can give them the tools and lead them to the resources, but it’s up to them to take advantage of them,” she explained.

When her clients do take advantage of the tools at their disposal, the results are immensely satisfying for Trytko. She loves to see them “meet a goal, stick to a boundary, recognize their strength. It’s celebrating small victories.”

Trytko is also excited about L.I.T.E.’s current project to place naloxone boxes in each township in Kosciusko County. Naloxone, brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray administered to reverse opioid overdoses. L.I.T.E. currently has boxes in Milford, Syracuse, North Webster, Pierceton and Claypool. Two new boxes were installed in Atwood and Etna Green Monday, Oct. 27.

“We’re trying to get the outlying areas where it might take EMS a little longer to get there, because naloxone really can save lives. … I love working with my peers but I also really love getting out and educating, trying to break down stigma,” she noted.

Life isn’t all work and no play for Trytko. She most loves spending time with her 10-year-old son.

“He’s my greatest source of joy,” she said. The two often play video games and LEGOs together.

Having not lost her enthusiasm for health and wellness, Trytko also loves to garden and make soaps and lotions with the plants she grows.