“You get out of recovery what you put into it”

My Addiction began at the age of 11 years old after a troubling childhood I soon found Alcohol which at the time was the answer to all my problems I felt that it gave me the confidence to be the person that I wanted to be. It started by me drinking 2-3 times per week and this soon escalated to me drinking daily by the time that I was 14 I had been kicked out of 3 schools for various things so had to go to work which gave me more money to fund my drinking.

At 17 I saw a friend of mine using Amphetamines IV and asked him if he would let me have some to which he said yes, it did not take long before I was injecting heroin and all the things that came with it lead to me entering the criminal justice System for the next 17 years I spent in and out of prison which became a lifestyle for me that if I am honest I did not mind as I felt safer in prison than I did on the streets.

In 2013 and went to rehab for the first time I did not try and got myself into a relationship thinking that I knew best. I left the rehab early and returned to my home town and was using within ten minutes of getting of the train it took me another 7 years before I was able to get back to rehab in that time I finally knew that I wanted to change and knew that I could as I had seen people change whilst I was in rehab the first time I used to look at so called normal people on the street and resent them because I thought that they had everything and did not have any kind of detox to do.

At the age of 44 after a total of 33 years in Addiction I was able to get back into rehab and this time I gave it my all I tried to work on all of my behaviours I was open about the things that troubled me in my childhood  I put the work in if I am honest with myself.

After leaving rehab I remained in Sheffield began to volunteer with P6 for a couple of years gaining experience in every area that I could  I have now worked in various treatment services for just over 3 years not every day is great but most of them are I love my job I am also married  if you would of said toi me 6 years ago that I would have had one of those things I would not of believed you I have never been happier than I am at the moment you get out of recovery what you put into it.