Our Service Manager Andy shares his thoughts on Substance addiction and the struggles it brings, he has firsthand experience in this and goes into detail below:
When people hit ‘rock bottom’, change becomes crucial to living a meaningful and happy life. However, initiating this journey toward change can be incredibly challenging, especially when the need for change hasn’t yet been recognised by the individual.
This journey is often characterised by the following stages of recovery:
1) Pre-contemplation – the individual is not yet acknowledging their addiction
2) Contemplation – the individual is starting to think about change
3) Action – the individual begins reaching out for help, which may include rehab, treatment programmes or involvement in AA/NA/CA fellowships
4) Maintenance – the individual works on maintaining their recovery progress.
Residential Rehabilitation
Once the individual has recognised their addiction, they’ll begin exploring different treatment options. During this process, the individual will be searching for ways to break the bonds they have with the substances that make their life unmanageable.
Residential rehabilitation can play a crucial role in this process, by removing individuals from their familiar environment and from their family, friends and community. This separation allows individuals to confront the challenges of early recovery head-on. They can begin to break free from their daily rituals centred around substance abuse and replace them with more meaningful activities that will ensure a healthier lifestyle.
My Recovery Journey
To give you some background about my own journey, I’m the Registered Manager of PCP Luton, a residential addiction treatment centre, and I’m also a lead counsellor and addiction therapist. With 24 years of lived experience and now 10 years in recovery, my journey with addiction and recovery has been an ongoing learning experience.
Starting my cycle of change all those years ago wasn’t easy. It demanded hard work and resilience and caused me a lot of pain. What mattered to me the most, however, was finding a way to get my family back, whom I had lost during the 24 years of active addiction.
After two years in recovery, I decided that I needed to give back. I wanted to help other people who were going through the trials and tribulations of addiction – the constant feelings of despair, trying to change but not being able to and losing everyone you love along the way. I thought that if I could contribute to saving just one person’s life, it would make every challenge worthwhile.
I began by focusing on myself, realising that by prioritising my own wellbeing and growth, I’d then be able to help others. I started volunteering and completed courses in peer mentoring and counselling. I then enrolled at university in Psychology with a focus on substance misuse and through hard work and resilience, I graduated with a first-class honours. During my studies, I not only learned many things, especially about myself, but the experience also provided me with the tools to give back and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12-Step Philosophy
At PCP, we embrace the philosophy of the AA 12-step programme to support people in recovery. The programme views recovery as a spiritual experience that enhances psychological change through spirituality and faith. By practising the 12 steps daily, patients gain a better chance of overcoming addiction. One core principle looks at recognising that recovery can only be obtained when the individual can admit that they have no control when using the substances. Another encourages members to develop a relationship with a ‘higher power’ of their understanding and to surrender their will to it.
Finding My Purpose
My work at PCP has given me the chance to reach the goals I set out at the beginning of my recovery journey – staying clean and sober, giving back to the community, and helping to save lives. It has also helped me regain my self-respect and reconnect with my family, becoming the father, son, brother, uncle and friend that was once believed to be lost.
Today, I hold my head up high, drawing strength from my faith and surrendering my will to a higher power, to overcome life’s daily challenges and to live happily.
In closing, I’ll share the Serenity Prayer, often quoted in recovery support groups, which I believe contains words that everyone, not just those struggling with addiction, should live by:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
