CLAYTON - Cadimus Atkinson figured he didn't need any help. After all, he'd been clean for years after overcoming drugs and alcohol.

So when a friend told him about the Stellar Peer Recovery Center, he was skeptical, but not for long.

"My first meeting here started a chain reaction," Atkinson said. "Something told me to come back."

Now he is an almost daily fixture at the center, which provides support to people recovering from addictions and mental illnesses. Atkinson is a volunteer, but his goal is to become a certified peer-support specialist so he can get a job helping others with the problems he overcame.

"It's amazing how you can come from almost destroying your life to rebuilding your life," he said. "I can honestly say that this is the best I have felt in all my life."

Atkinson's story is a common one at the center: From clients on up to the director, everyone has been in recovery. It's among the few centers in the state that use the model, and the only place in Johnston County that caters to people after their treatment.

"We are the living examples that someone who had no hope can be a productive member of society," said Kenny Blackmon, director of the center.

Stellar fills a key gap in the county's mental-health system, Blackmon said. The assumption is that people who've been treated for addiction or mental illness can return to normal lives. But people in recovery need support in order to stay clean. Often, they also need help with social skills and healthy lifestyles.

"We cover the entire gamut of daily life," said Stellar's founder, Dorothy O'Neal.

The center offers a variety of informal support groups to help with different needs.

"The support base is tremendous," Atkinson said. "We sit and talk about the steps that we wish to take."

But the center goes well beyond support groups. It also offers fun activities, and participants are gearing up to carve pumpkins and take a trip to the beach together later this month.

It's also a place to hang out and relax. One of its features is the "serenity room," a quiet spot where one can read a book, listen to music or inspirational tapes and think about the serenity prayer.

Faith is a major part of recovery at the center, which has a Bible study group and is affiliated with Feed His Sheep Church. Funding comes from the church and the Johnston County Mental Health Center.

"The recovery program allows us to have a higher power," Atkinson said, adding that he's better able to handle life's challenges knowing that God has a plan for him. "From any door that closes, another one opens. The opportunity will come."

Now in its third year, the center has grown from about six participants a day to 15 to 20. It's looking to the community for help as it expands services. It's seeking donated computers so it can offer Internet access.

O'Neal said the community has been largely supportive of the center, although it still has to battle the stigmas associated with mental illness and addiction.

"Forget about the 'illness' that we are recovering from, think about who we are now," she said. "Help us break the stigma."

Stellar Peer Recovery Center is located at 440 E. Main St. in downtown Clayton. The phone number is 919-553-2554. That's also the number for the "Heart to Heart Warm Line," which offers confidential conversations for people with mental illness or addiction. Transportation to the center is available.