Wendy Dossett is an Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Chester. She is also Director of the Chester Studies of Addiction, Recovery and Spirituality Group, and Principal Investigator of the Higher Power Project, which explores the language of religion and spirituality in recovery from addictions.
Recently, I posted a blog about how Wendy had received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the category of Recovery Researcher from Deirdre Boyd of DBRecovery at the UKESAD Conference in July. The Award is thoroughly deserved.
Wendy is a clear example of what someone in recovery from addiction can achieve. An excellent example of Transforming Pain into Power. Here is the Pain section of Wendy’s life, as she described in her interview with Wulf last year. The Power is all of her personal and work achievements since, including her amazing contribution to the field.
My Addiction & Recovery [6’46”]
Wendy identifies as a person in recovery from addiction. She describes herself as recovering, rather than recovered, as she believes that if she were to drink alcohol again, she would quite likely eventually return to the same position she was in at the height of her drinking problem.
At that time, her life was unravelling, she was experiencing a lot of suicidal ideation and attempting suicide, and was clinging on to a job with ‘splintering finger nails’. She was living in a mouldy touring caravan in a field, showering in the university she worked at, and trying to pretend everything was okay. She thought alcohol was keeping her alive.
When Wendy reached what she considered was her rock bottom, a time of absolute agony, she reached out for help. She didn’t go to treatment, and attributes her recovery to mutual aid. As her sobriety continued, her mental health improved incrementally.
Although Wendy describes herself as a depressive character, she has not tried suicide since she stopped drinking 18 years ago. She doesn’t want to take the risk of drinking, in effect putting a gun to her head which has a bullet in one of the six chambers. She doesn’t need alcohol, as she has the life she wants.