Mel's Story

I started using substance around the age of 13 this continued through my teenage years and by the time I was in my early 20’s I was addicted to heroin and street Valium.

 

I lost everything through my addiction, my son was taken in to full time foster care and I was stopped completely from having any contact with him. I also lost my house and became homeless living from hostel to hostel. I was then put on a very high prescription of methadone and diazepam.

 

I really struggled with daily living, most nights I would go to bed wishing and hoping that I didn’t wake up the next morning. I really felt like I was just existing and not living. I had a daily routine of getting up to go to the chemist then to find money from somewhere so I could use drugs. Once I had managed that I would go back to bed and just sleep the days away. I feel like the word ‘depressed’ to describe how I felt was putting it lightly.

 

I was so desperate to get clean and I had tried many different services to get help with this. I remember having an appointment to discuss what help I could get with an addiction service and feeling really excited about it. I was told because I was on such a high prescription of methadone I would not be eligible for funding for any kind of rehabilitation centre until I had reduced from my dose of 110ml down to 30ml and to stabilise from street substance on my own. I didn’t know how to do this and left that appointment believing that I was going to be addicted to heroin and methadone for the rest of my life.

 

I started to attend mutual aid meetings and someone had mentioned Steps To Hope to me and suggested I get in touch. I went home that night and contacted them, after speaking with Richie a couple of times I was offered a placement a week later.

 

My journey with Steps To Hope has been nothing short of incredible. I managed to reduce my prescription and achieve my very first day clean just over 2 years ago. Not only have I remained clean and sober but I have built an amazing life for myself, my son is back in my life and I have a wonderful relationship with him. I have also built relationships back up with my family which didn’t think would be possible and have passed my driving test.

 

Steps To Hope has helped build me into the person I am today, I had no confidence or belief in myself and I really did not like the person I was. Today I absolutely love who I am. I have now gained full time employment as the recovery supervisor at Steps To Hope and get to help others who are struggling with addiction. I absolutely love working at Steps To Hope as I know this program really does work. Not only by saving lives, but by completely changing them for the better.