Recovery Series: Rebecca Bingaman

Send us a text

Healthcare is Human: Recovery Series continues an in-depth look at individuals working in substance abuse recovery in Martinsburg, WV. Who are the incredible folks doing this important work? With such a difficult disease, why do they choose to work in recovery? 

We meet Rebecca Bingman, a peer recovery counselor, who describes her approach to reaching people suffering from substance abuse disorder (SUD). “Meeting somebody where they are, it starts with not being judgmental–a smile, looking them in the eye, how I'm sitting, it's the simple stuff.” 

“Being able to actually actively listen and hear what they need. Maybe it is a person to watch their cat, which might be the only thing that's keeping them alive at this moment. Meeting people in language, talking about a shooting gallery, a get-off house, and knowing what that is, and not using it in a condescending manner. And not being shocked when they tell me this horrible thing that either happened to them, or they’ve done to somebody, to further their disorder.”

“What do you want to address today? Is that what we're here for? Are we addressing another part? And knowing that they're not going to be criticized. We're living life with a disorder. It's the same as me having diabetes–nobody criticizes me for that. But tell them that you have a substance use disorder, and then get frowned upon at the pharmacy after having surgery and are in need of pain medication.” 

“I can pick you out of a room every time. It's not tattooed on our foreheads or anything like that. I just know, and I don't know how to explain it. I've been in the room where I've been judged by people like me. And I've also been in the room where I've been accepted and been loved. And it's just how I present myself: being open.”

Healthcare is Human was created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center.

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV, whose world-class portfolio can be found by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography.

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, and generous donors in our community. 

Isaac McCarthy plays the banjo to open and close the show.

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com, KevinMD, Narrative Mindworks, and 100 Days in Appalachia.

If you have a great idea for a story, we would love to hear from you!

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you.