EP 34: Alex on peer support, recovery beyond services, and surviving harm in mental health care

Send us Fan MailAlex was first hospitalised at 16 - and spent much of the next eight years in and out of the same psychiatric unit. By the time she was discharged at 24, she was labelled “clinically recovered” but inside, she felt empty, hopeless, and lost.In this conversation, Alex talks honestly to Cate about the harm she experienced in mental health services, the limits of being treated through diagnosis alone, and what was missing when she needed it most: connection, safety, and people who truly understood.The turning point didn’t come from another intervention. It came when Alex stepped away from services altogether — and began recovering with the support of family, friends, and, crucially, peer support. People who didn’t try to fix them. People who listened. People who believed them.We explore how peer support became the foundation of Alex’s recovery and later, her work. From frontline peer roles to leading peer support services, Alex reflects on what it means to carry lived experience into leadership, the risks of burnout, and the importance of being supported as a peer, not just useful to others.Alex also speaks about parenthood, relapse, and reporting abuse years later - and how peer connection helped them navigate those moments with compassion rather than self-blame.At its heart, this is a conversation about recovery beyond services — and why peer support isn’t an “add-on”, but the thing that makes healing possible.You’ll hear about:Growing up in psychiatric care - and the harm Alex experiencedBeing “clinically recovered” but emotionally abandonedWhy leaving services opened the door to real recoveryWhat makes peer support different - and why it worksUsing lived experience in peer and leadership rolesThe challenges of peer leadership and protecting your own wellbeingMoving from anger to compassionA message of hope for anyone who feels beyond help***CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains references to sexual abuse/assault, which some listeners may find distressing. Please take care of yourself, and feel free to skip this episode if it's not the right time for you.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk