Recovery Corner

19/01/2026

📢 Sharing on behalf of Scottish Drugs Forum

Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) is inviting family members of people accessing alcohol and/or drug treatment in Argyll and Bute to share their experiences of support.

This work is part of a Scotland-wide, mandatory gathering of lived experience, commissioned by the Argyll & Bute Alcohol & Drug Partnership (ADP), with findings reported to Public Health Scotland. The aim is to understand what’s working well and where improvements are needed.

✔ Confidential phone interview (around 45 minutes) or
✔ Option to complete a survey in your own time
🎁 £20 PayPoint voucher for taking part
🔒 All responses are anonymised and confidential

📅 Interviews run until February 2026

If you work with or know family members who may wish to take part, please share the flyer or encourage them to get in touch.

📧 Contact: nicolaa@sdf.org.uk

📞 07825 743903

19/01/2026

We went to any lengths to get away from being ourselves. The lines got fatter, the grams went faster, the week's stash was all used up today. We found ourselves scraping envelopes and baggies with razor blades, scratching the last flakes from the corners of brown bottles, snorting or smoking any white speck from the floor when we ran out. We, who prided ourselves on our fine-tuned state of mind! Nothing mattered more to us than the straw, the pipe, the needle. Even if it made us feel miserable, we had to have it.

Some of us mixed co***ne with alcohol or other drugs, and found temporary relief in the change, but in the end, it only compounded our problems. We tried quitting by ourselves, finally, and sometimes managed to do so for periods of time. After a month we imagined we were in control. We thought our system was cleaned out and we could get the old high again, using half as much. This time, we'd be careful not to go overboard. But we only found ourselves back where we were before, and worse.

We never left the house without using first. We didn't make love without using. We didn't talk on the phone without coke. We didn’t fall asleep, sometimes it seemed we couldn't even breathe without co***ne. We tried changing jobs, apartments, cities, lovers -- believing that our lives were being screwed up by circumstances, places, people. Perhaps we saw a co***ne friend die of respiratory arrest and still we went on using! But eventually we had to face facts. We had to admit that co***ne was a serious problem in our lives, that we were addicts.

If you can identify with this, contact Co***ne Anonymous on 0141 959 63 63 or drop a DM and we will reach out to you - there is a solution…

***ne ***neanonymous

19/01/2026

Still time to sign up for this, lunch provided

This free event invites people to reflect on how stigma shapes our experiences, particularly around drug and alcohol addiction, mental health, and trauma. It teaches us how everyday acts of kindness can challenge shame, exclusion, and silence.🥰

Please sign up if interested, lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Recoverycorner@ab-rc.org.uk
Pam@ab-rc.org.uk
07778894267

Cowal & Bute Health & Wellbeing Network
WithYou in Argyll and Bute HELP Ltd Cowal Community Hospital ARC Addictions Recovery Cafe Argyll and Bute ADP LAAS Recovery Advocacy Project Argyll & Bute Police Scotland Argyll & West Dunbartonshire Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs

19/01/2026

Stigma around addiction and recovery reinforces shame and isolation. Replacing judgment with understanding is essential for healing and recovery 🥰

Reach out for support or advice.

Pam@ab-rc.org.uk
Recoverycorner@ab-rc.org.uk
07778894267

19/01/2026

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got!

18/01/2026

Monday 4pm 🥰

Women’s Recovery & Healing Group 🥰

Monday's 4pm - 6pm at Recovery Corner Dunoon.

Make 2026 the year you put yourself first✨️

This women only recovery group is a safe, supportive space for women affected by:
• Alcohol or drug addiction
• Trauma
• Sexual violence
• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Whether you are at the start of your recovery journey or further along, you are welcome here.

I am a qualified Counsellor / Psychotherapist with lived experience of addiction and adverse childhood experiences so I truly understand how difficult and frightening taking this first step can feel.

What we offer..
• A safe, confidential, trauma-informed group space
• Support alongside like-minded women
• The option of a private room for 1-to-1 chats if group feels too much
• A place where your voice matters and your experiences are respected.
• Weekly worksheets/homework (optional)

I know this step can feel overwhelming, but I promise you, it will be worth it!

Please reach out with any questions or to find out more information.
**If you are struggling for child care don't be put off, there is a room they can draw/ read in**

You don’t have to do this alone. 💜

Pam x

Pam@ab-rc.org.uk
Recoverycorner@ab-rc.org.uk
07778894267

Argyll and Bute ADP
ARC Addictions Recovery Cafe
Cowal Community Hospital
Heartstart Cowal WithYou in Argyll and Bute
HELP Ltd
Police Scotland Argyll & West Dunbartonshire

18/01/2026

Not everyone will celebrate your glow..and that’s okay.
Rise above it! Keep shining ✨

17/01/2026

All welcome 🙏

17/01/2026

Saturday reminder 🥰
Struggling doesn’t mean failing. If alcohol or drugs are making life unmanageable, reaching out to someone who’s been there, and is qualified to support you, can be the first step forward.

Recoverycorner@ab-rc.org.uk
Pam@ab-rc.org.uk
07778894267

17/01/2026

Great idea for festivals etc, i have always told my kids to watch their drinks..spiking drinks sadly is still happening 😞

16/01/2026

Lived experience job opportunity

We are looking for people with lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity to join our Advisory Board! Your experience matters. Your voice can make a real difference in preventing homelessness across Argyll & Bute.

Full support provided:
£20/hour
Travel expenses covered
Childcare costs covered
Accessible meetings

Get in touch if you would like to take part:
📧 sarah.nixon@abcab.org.uk
📧 susancolin@carrgomm.org.uk