These Recovery Stories were written back in 2012/13 (and earlier), either by the person or by myself after a number of interviews with each storyteller. The majority were updated in the second half of 2020, allowing readers to see how each storyteller's life has developed over the years. On 9 April 2021, I published the eBook Our Recovery Stories: Journeys From Drug and Alcohol Addiction which can be purchased via Apple, Amazon or Kobo. All the Stories are now on this website.
David is deeply indebted to the Story authors: Adam Brookes, Anna, Beth Burgess, Brad Miah-Phillips (RIP), Iain Donald, Ian and Irene MacDonald, Kevin and Kerry, Kevan Martin, Michael Scott, Natalie, Paul, Sapphire, Simon Jenkins and Tim. NB. Some single names are fictitious. The stories are roughly in the order that David started them. The first version of Natalie's Story was written in 2000 by David's colleague at the time, Becky Hancock.
22nd September 2023
You have to realise my state of thinking prior to that first group meeting in the treatment agency. Once I had become addicted to heroin, I did not see that there was any alternative to the life I was living. I didn’t know anyone who had overcome heroin addiction. I had never heard...
21st September 2023
I needed to interact with other people and I believe that this is a key element of recovery. Connecting with people and engaging in meaningful activities, interacting with others and communicating. I’d love to see more recovery-related activities in my hometown...
20th September 2023
So, I started a support group for people with alcohol problems in my own home. I often used to meet people that I had been in treatment with out and about, and eventually I started to say, ‘Come down to my place Tuesday night.’ Within a month, I had six people...
19th September 2023
I really began to feel hope, hope that I could and would have a new life. I had been unable to relate to people for a long time, but I now started to interact with people and make new friends. I felt that I belonged. People cared about me and wanted to help me. I shared experiences...
18th September 2023
As I got further involved in the world of drugs, the part of me that would say, ‘This is wrong’ was being squashed. In that environment, with everyone around you using, the drugs take over your whole life and you take more and more risks. I hated what I was, and years went by before...
17th September 2023
‘Also, remember that it’s not your addiction—it’s your loved one’s addiction. You might get involved, but it’s not your life, not your addiction—it’s theirs. It’s not something you have done that has caused it. You might think it’s because of their genes, upbringing, or whatever, but...'
16th September 2023
I learned more about addiction and recovery than I thought it possible to know… and more besides. The most valuable stuff I learned from my peers and other recovering people. Mutual aid meetings were an important component of the treatment programme. I remember sitting in my first meeting...
15th September 2023
Sometimes, it’s the little things that are significant recovery moments. Like the many comments from family members who we’ve supported, confirming to us that their contacting CPSG has been of genuine benefit...
14th September 2023
I then decided that enough was enough, the script had to stop. I realised that if I didn’t do something about getting off methadone, I could end up getting stuck in a situation where the methadone kept getting increased. This was something I wanted to avoid at all costs, since I would be just changing one dependency (an illegal one) for...
13th September 2023
They believed that I didn’t need the same dose of methadone as I wasn’t now using illicit or unprescribed drugs, ignoring the fact that it was because of this dose of methadone that I was able to abstain from other drugs and alcohol. Their logic seemed to be...
12th September 2023
At this point, I experienced something I remember clearly like it was yesterday. My head span and I was dizzy. I had never realised that my problems involved more than just alcohol—they involved me as a person. No one had explained this to me before.
11th September 2023
It’s also possible to learn something new or change the way you think if you’re prepared to work at it. Not only has my brother overcome his drug dependence and rebuilt his life and his career, he has travelled the world, has a gorgeous family, and can speak another...
10th September 2023
I believe all my troubles have also improved my character. If I had never been forced to take a long hard look at myself, I might have gone through life not bothering to iron out my faults, nor to build on my good qualities. I would never have had the chance to be exactly who I am now—a happy, giving, grateful person who embraces...
9th September 2023
This was probably the first time that I realised that my addiction wasn’t about a particular substance, but was about my way of thinking or perception of reality. The substance was in fact my solution to my inability to live at peace with myself. Coming to accept that I, rather than...
8th September 2023
The results of that first meeting, and the effect on my life, were immense. I’m certain that there is a small element of hope—or faith or some kind of spiritual flame—that burns inside us all. I believe it’s never completely extinguished, but can become so dim that it’s almost invisible to us.