A new meeting place has recently opened on Pelikaanstraat in Assen. ‘Assen Experience’ offers a place to residents who have had to deal with, for example, loss, illness, trauma, burnout or are struggling with long-term psychological complaints. In a living room setting, they can find support and work on recovery in an accessible way.
A team of volunteers and experts supports them. Baudy knows better than anyone how nice it is that you can tell your story when you don’t remember it.
“I am a child of addicted parents and later also became addicted. When I ended up in a shelter from my body, there was nothing aimed at recovery. Then it is very nice that you can talk to someone and ask for help there.”
Kim agrees. She also works at Assen Ervaart as an expert by experience. “I suffered a severe cerebral infarction seven years ago due to domestic violence. I had to recuperate in Beatrixoord for a long time. Only when I came back home did the real recovery begin, because I no longer knew who I was and what I could do.”
More people suffer from this problem, but sometimes have to wait a long time before they can receive professional help. The Assen Experience initiative is now filling that gap, but project leader Marja Wolthuizen emphasizes that they are not a replacement for professional help. “But it is never good to sit at home and have to wait for a long time. Then a problem often becomes bigger and therefore worse.”
At the meeting place, people actively work on themselves. Assen Ervaart is based on ‘together’. “You can become stronger if you engage in the recovery process together,” Kim explains. Visitors can participate in workshops, lectures and courses. “It is tailor-made. We do not impose anything from above,” Wolthuizen explains.
Assen Ervaart collaborates with various organizations such as Addiction Care Northern Netherlands, The Salvation Army, GGZ and Vaart Welzijn. They have been open since last Wednesday. Kim hopes that thanks to this initiative, people will feel heard and understood again. “And that they find self-love again. Because self-love gives strength.”