05/29/2022
Why am i so passionate about Outreach,
Helping others in need and giving back ?
4 YEARS AGO TODAY...
..i woke up in the boot and backseat of a broken down car in someones garden. I was an empty shell, a little over 8 stone, no money coming in, nothing in the way of belongings and big problems with several substances and a heavy drinker and if it had not have been for the intervention of Sarah, formerly of The Bus Shelter, Social Care and Graham from The Health Outreach Project, I WOULD NOT be here today.
Since then the road to recovery has been a bloody hard one, a challenge I am thankful that so many people will not have to face, as I have fought daily to overcome and undo 28 years of conditioning, addictions, supressed memories, trauma and old behaviour. Trying to re-write and re-invent myself has been the hardest challenge I have ever had to face and continue to face everyday.
When I was 16 I started using drugs and alcohol recreationally amongst my peer group but it wasn't long before I saw how it could provide me with a very real escape from my home life, myself and my issues. The very first time I tasted amphetamines, it wasn't about the buzz, it was more like "oh wow, this is what has been missing from my life" and that is how the rot set in and I found safe community amongst other drug users. For the first time in my life, I belonged!
By the time I was 31 I was totally unemployable, my own parents washed their hands of me and for the next 14 years my life revolved around cementing me in my own very personal hell, still addicted to speed, He**in, Crack, Pharmaceuticals, Cannabis and pretty much anything I could get my hands on. 28 years of my life I was a slave to addictions, it stole everything from me, time and time again and the amount of people I have hurt along the way has been unforgiveable which is why I spend my time now helping others, making amends and giving back.
Now of course I try to live my life in the light, 4 years hard work has started to pay off as for the last 5 months now I have been living on my own and completely independently, paying bills and managing myself and my own affairs as best I can. This is the first time in my entire life that I have been able to do this!
RECOVERY WORKS ❤️
Thankyou for reading
Jay
