Published on: 9 October 2026
To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is sharing a series of stories from colleagues with lived experience, highlighting the importance of connection, understanding and hope in mental health recovery.
Freya, a Peer Support Worker within the Trust’s Derbyshire Eating Disorder Service, shares how her own recovery journey inspired her to support others and why speaking with someone who understands can make such a difference.
Why did you become a Peer Support Worker?
My motivation came from my own lived experience of an eating disorder and recovery. I remember how isolating, lonely and hopeless that period of my life felt, and how difficult it was to believe that anyone could truly understand what I was going through.
During my recovery, a friend shared that they had been through a similar experience. Having someone who understood what I was feeling, without me needing to explain or justify myself, made such a difference. For the first time, I felt less alone and realised how powerful connection and shared understanding can be.
I wanted to use what I had been through to help others feel less isolated and offer the same support and understanding that had been so valuable to me.
What do you love about being a Peer Support Worker?
One of the most rewarding parts of the role is seeing the changes people make throughout their recovery. These changes are not always immediate or obvious, and sometimes the smallest steps represent huge achievements.
I feel privileged to support people as they rebuild their confidence, reconnect with themselves and rediscover the things that bring them happiness and fulfilment. I particularly love seeing someone’s world begin to open up again, whether they are returning to activities they once enjoyed, becoming more socially confident, rebuilding relationships, starting university or returning to work.
What does peer support mean to you?
Peer support offers a different kind of relationship, built on shared experience, empathy and mutual understanding. Sometimes it can be the first time someone has felt comfortable speaking openly about certain aspects of their eating disorder.
Knowing that the person they are speaking to has experienced some of the same feelings can help break down barriers and create a space where they feel able to be honest. Simply knowing another person understands what you are going through can make an enormous difference, while recognising that everyone’s experience of an eating disorder and recovery is unique.
What difference can peer support make?
I often hear how reassuring it is to speak to somebody who understands where someone is coming from. People can feel relief at being able to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings without worrying that they will be judged or misunderstood. Some have described how our conversations help them recognise that they are not alone.
The impact can also extend beyond the individual. As someone’s confidence grows and their relationship with themselves and their eating disorder begins to change, this can have a positive ripple effect on their family, partner and friendships.
My role is not to have all the answers or tell someone what their recovery should look like. It is to walk alongside them, offer understanding and encouragement, celebrate their achievements and sometimes provide gentle challenge when it is needed.
What would you say to someone considering becoming a Peer Support Worker?
If you are passionate about supporting others and feel that you would like to use your lived experience to help people, then go for it. Your experience can be incredibly valuable, but you do not need to have all the answers. Peer support is about walking alongside someone, listening, understanding and helping them recognise their own strengths and progress.
Peer Support Workers also bring a unique perspective to the wider multidisciplinary team, helping colleagues understand the lived experience of an eating disorder and recovery. Do not be afraid to speak up and share your thoughts, because your voice and perspective are valuable.
For me, one of the most rewarding things about being a Peer Support Worker is knowing that something which once felt so difficult and lonely in my own life can now help me connect with and support others.
When I completed the Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change training in peer support, one of the trainers shared a quote that has stayed with me: "We haven’t all walked in each other’s shoes, but we’ve shopped in the same shoe shop."
It captures what is so powerful about peer support. We might not have experienced exactly the same things, but there can be a deep sense of recognition and understanding when you have experienced similar difficulties. That shared understanding can help people feel less alone and create a connection that might otherwise be difficult to find.
