I classify myself as being very lucky. I have the best job in the world, but the most important job is taking care of myself first. I learned the hard way, so I have written this blog in the hope that you can avoid some of the pitfalls and remind you that if you […]
Category: Having a word with me sen
Losing and Finding Trust in Recovery
When I first started my recovery journey, it’s fair to say that I had little or no recovery capital I felt powerless, I’d lost my identity, hope and meaning and after walking away from my peers and social networks and life as I knew it, I’d never felt so disconnected. The isolation at times was […]
Proof that two heads are better than one, even if they are broken
I have been on a personal mission for months to try and arrange a meeting between two guys I now have the privilege to call friends. Their paths have never crossed before, yet they have so much in common. They have both lived on the fringes of society. Both have been involved in crime, violence, […]
‘They should have taught us this shit in school, because if they had done maybe I might have spent more time in the classroom instead of standing outside of it’
Discovering myself after Substance Abuse It wasn’t until 18 months after coming out of the mental institution from drug-induced psychosis that my recovery or discovery journey truly began. That being said, looking back, I didn’t have the time or the appropriate support at the time. I’d recently left a coercive and controlling relationship. I was […]
Woman – There is more to you than you think
Woman – There is more to you than you think The Bedtime fairy tales were engraved into her younger self’s head Just the thought of being alone filled her with dread Afraid of being left on the shelf she always put other’s needs before herself She craved other people’s acceptance to help her […]
If they are your mate they’ll wait
I made some amazing friendships during my using/dealing days but one of the most complex parts in my early recovery was stepping away from some of those friendships. This was made worse by knowing that they weren’t bad people; in fact, it was quite the opposite. They never gave up on me when I fucked […]
Don’t wait until it’s too late
At the time of writing this, I don’t feel sad, I feel angry. It’s always sad when you lose someone, it’s part of life, we all go at some point, but every now and then the loss can hit you hard and this loss is no exception. Yesterday I was contacted out of the blue […]
Writing has opened doors within me that I never knew existed
You would think writing a memoir would be easy. After all, you have all the facts, but it’s not, hence why it’s taking so friggin long. I used to put loads of pressure on myself by setting deadlines, especially after someone asked, “when’s the book gonna be ready?”. But I’m learning that my writing cannot be […]
My problem was never about the drugs, it was me all along
People often ask me ‘how would you describe your recovery journey?’ and I always describe my recovery as being’ like a discovery of the self’. It’s taken a lot of soul searching and self-honesty to be the person that I am today. let me take you back… For years I was preoccupied with trying to […]
Ever heard of ARBD? (Alcohol-Related Brain Damage)– Nah, me neither
Well that was until recently We are familiar with terms such as intoxication or drunkenness; however, these terms are rarely associated or linked to brain damage. I had heard about Korsakoff syndrome, a chronic memory disorder associated with alcoholism. All the signs were there with dad, but he was never formally diagnosed. Moreover, over the […]
