Drugs services - life experiences

Charlie is 36 years old and lives in Edinburgh.  For the past twenty-two years he has experienced alcohol and drug misuse issues. Almost a year into his recovery, Charlie is in a place where he is comfortable to share his experiences as he feels a lot stronger. 

Charlie says:

"Today I am clean.  Being clean is a baseline for me and I feel real joy in saying that."

Talking about his recovery journey, Charlie shares:

"For me, the hardest stage has not been about the physical withdrawal; the aches, the vomit, the sweat, tears and the sleepless nights.  There are days where I long for a re-acquaintance with withdrawal as the pain and insomnia were sharp reminders of how toxic my body and mind had become.

"The real struggle of my recovery began the moment my body lost its craving, with the overwhelming waves of thoughts and emotions that controlled me. 

"Fighting and winning the physical battles are not as hard for me as some would imagine.  The mental battles, however, are another thing altogether."

Charlie remembers periods of time, sometimes days, sometimes weeks when he would struggle to get out of bed, shave and get washed.

For an eighteen month period Charlie felt trapped in a cycle of withdrawal, depression, isolation and relapse.  He would fight his way back to withdrawal as he desperately wanted to recover.  

During this stage of Charlie's recovery, he realised that he needed help as his addiction led to homelessness, various stays in hospital and prison and worst of all it destroyed relationships with loved ones. 

The support staff at the Homelessness Unit that Charlie was residing in acted upon his request for assistance and referred him to a service that would be able to help.  This is where he first made contact with Turning Point Scotland's Midpoint service.  The service provides housing support to individuals who have substance misuse issues and who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. 

Following an initial assessment and after some time Charlie secured his own tenancy.  He received practical support to adjust to this new chapter in his recovery journey. 

Charlie relapsed shortly after moving into his new flat, but this time the relapse was for one day and not for weeks or months as they had been in the past. 

Now, almost a year later Charlie feels so much stronger in his recovery. 

He says;

"Recovery is an intensively personal experience, but it doesn't have to be an isolated experience.  My experience with Midpoint has shown that professional support has had real impact on my life."

 For more information on our substance misuse services please click here.