Red Door Recovery

31/01/2026

Life in addiction can be full of high-magnitude mayhem.
One wrong step and.........
When you are ready to make changes, there is an easier path.
And there are people who will walk with you.

28/01/2026

HE MOANA PUKEPUKE E EKENGIA E TE WAKA:
This whakataukī is about strength and belief that, in the waka, the choppy seas can be navigated. In 2014 when we started the Pipe Down methamphetamine lobby group, this was our ethos. A year later, when we started Red Door, we took this proverb with us. In addiction, the seas can be stormy and seem imposs ible to navigate. The reality is, when we are ready to make changes, there is a waka waiting for us; people to help us reach the calm waters. True that.

28/01/2026

Memory Lane:
As we get older and turnover the years in recovery from addiction, we find ourselves drawing on our memories.
Sometimes those memories will take us back to our time in active addiction, and that can mean confronting the likes of guilt and shame.
We deal with that, take ownership, make amends if we can, and move on.
The past is history, we can’t change it.
Oh, but the memories from our time in recovery will be wonderful.
How far we we have come, freed from the stress and mayhem, the job we secured, re-connecting with family, and the new friends’ network we have become a part of.
This from a man in his 50’s with a couple of decades in recovery:
“I was sitting in a crowded cafe recently, alone with my morning coffee, just thinking about the person I have become in recovery, learning to live in the present, what I have achieved and, most of all, just how bloody happy I am. Suddenly I realised a had a huge smile across my face. It wouldn’t go away. People around me must have thought I was completely bonkers!”
Recovery.
Is it hard at times, in the early days?
Yes.
Does it get easier?
Totally.
Is it worth it?
Absolutely. 100%. It could be the best thing you ever do for yourself.

27/01/2026

Life throws us all some challenges.
Sometimes those curve balls can be tough.
J K Rowling: "Rock bottom became the solid foundation
on which I re-built my life."
Drinking and drugging can feel like a solution.
To turn down the noise.
For a while.
In reality that is not a solution at all, it only
makes the problem worse. A lot worse.
The real solution is something inside all of us:
Strength. And resilience.

17/01/2026

Just after 9am he arrives at the office
wearing a demon hangover.
With coffee, he drops a couple of
painkillers.
“How do you do it” they ask at
the water-cooler.
“Never again” the standard response.
Someone tells him he’s a bloody legend.
The painkillers don’t help.
He can’t recall what happened last night,
everything after 11pm is a blur.
Lunchtime, a quick drink helps, the
hair of the dog.
After work It’s time for one for the road.
One?
At around 10pm he calls home.
She’s heard it all before.
He doesn’t feel her pain.
It’s time for another drink.
He’ll tell you he doesn’t have a problem.
Of course he will.
He’s an alcoholic.

14/01/2026

Often she’s off work, sick.
At work she seems a lot happier in the afternoons.
After work, she likes a drink, but she may just keep
filling that glass until the early hours.
She may spend the night asleep on the floor.
Or in someboby’s bed.
Chances are she won’t even remember his name.
Or how they met.
She drives drunk.
She’s been caught once and she’ll be caught again.
She has blackouts.
She lets people down.
She’s the life of the party. Until she’s not.
And she’ll tell you she hasn’t got a problem.
Of course she will; she’s an alcoholic.

13/01/2026

ADDICTION: "This song isn’t just a tune - it’s a call to wake up.
Pātua Te Taniwha is about slaying the old patterns, the old stories, the old monsters that keep us small.

If you’ve ever had to fight your way back to yourself…
this one’s for you."

🔥 LYRIC VIDEO DROP 🔥This song isn’t just a tune - it’s a call to wake up.Pātua Te Taniwha is about slaying the old patterns, the old stories, the old monst...

12/01/2026

If life is starting to feel like it is breaking you,
maybe it’s time to take a break. For good.

10/01/2026

In early recovery from addiction, it can
sometimes feel like it is all just too hard.

Just take a big breath.
Just keep it simple.
Just keep on the path.
Just live in the now.

Just Be:

Be happy in the good days.
Be prepared to manage the tough days.
Be the best person you can be.
Be very aware that your choice to change
will take you to some amazing places.

That’s recovery.
Yeah, recovery.

03/01/2026

Standing at the crossroads, which path am I going to take?
Do I let things just carry on? Or do I seek another path and
make some changes: positive changes?

The moment we decide to give up drinking or drugging is
often called a rock bottom, when we feel so low we are
driven to make some changes.

It may not be a single event that gets us to that point, it
may be a number of events that build up, then take us down.

Significant negative life events: Examples include an arrest, a drink drive charge an overdose scare, or an accident with tragic consequences.

Health concerns: Recognition of serious physical or mental health problems directly linked to substance use (e.g. liver disease, heart issues, severe depression) can be a primary motivator for seeking help.

Strained relationships and family pressure: The fear of losing loved ones, especially children, is a powerful influence. Pressure and concern from family members can be crucial in the initial decision to seek help.

Loss of control and self-respect: A personal realisation that the addiction has taken over our life and that we are no longer in control of our actions can be a moment of clarity. The desire to regain dignity and live a life aligned with our own true values can be a strong intrinsic motivator.

Desire for a better quality of life: Many people simply reach a point where they long for a sense of purpose and happiness beyond the cycle of addiction. It is a realisation that our current habits are holding us back.

The accumulated weight of consequences: For many, there isn't one single, dramatic moment, but rather a slow accumulation of negative outcomes over time—financial troubles, isolation, shame, guilt and despair—that eventually make the idea of change seem more bearable than continuing in addiction.

Whatever the drivers, when we ‘take a look in the mirror’, there is a moment. A moment that promotes the decision to make positive change. This is the moment we must grab with both hands and do everything we can to never let go. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes, 100%. The rewards are immeasurable for you, and everyone around you.

23/12/2025

Is it easy? No. Is it ultimately worth it? Absolutely.

As Paulette Crowley prepares to celebrate her tenth Christmas without alcohol, she remembers the agony of the very first one and reflects on lessons from the past decade.