Robert’s story – Independent Review of Adult Social Care
"My life transformed in 7 months. If I wasn’t here, I would likely be dead."
“I had addiction issues and was on methadone for 18 years and I was a heroin addict for a couple of decades. I just got caught in the one drug, used to take it at the dancing. It stole a good part of my life. Now I volunteer at a treatment centre, the treatment centre that helped me get clean. I also work a 12 step programme with a sponsor that’s given me a change of thinking.
Having to go to the chemist for methadone, it’s brutal. I used to wait all day to go and just went before it closed. Going through the door at the chemist made me feel like less of a person, a second class citizen.
I had a terrible self-hatred. I used to go along every month and they would try and fire me up on more methadone. I didn’t want this, there was no exit strategy. I didn’t see a way out and I thought I would die in addiction. See to be honest with you I would have accepted that but I wouldn’t have accepted that for my daughter, she never chose this.
We’re dying out there, my pals are dying out there and we are trying to get treatment. It’s hard if you take drugs to get treatment. I just needed some guidance, the structure that Rainbow House, a recovery service in Glasgow, could give me. I just needed time to breathe and process the things that had gone on in my life. My life transformed in 7 months. If I wasn’t here, I would likely be dead.
At Rainbow House I volunteer and with other organisations. In the future, I’ll work in addictions or helping people. I’ve got a beautiful daughter and a lovely family. I’ve got driving lessons set up and I believe my life is going to be good. I believe a big part of recovery is hope. Most people don’t know what recovery is, we need to make it visible, we need to give it direction.”
Read the Independent Review of Adult Social Care (this link will take you away from our website).
Read our news item on the Independent Review of Adult Social Care.
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