‘A World of Turmoil and Pain’ in Addiction
‘Hello, my name is Danny. I began struggling with my addiction from around the age of 30. I’m now 50 and it’s been a calamitous, unhappy, painful and exhausting journey, one I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. My addiction progressively took over my life as the years passed. It caused problems in relationships, hampered my career, fuelled my anxiety, made me depressed and depleted my finances. Nonetheless, I just about managed to hold everything together, or so I thought, but in hindsight I don’t believe many were fooled. I had a family, good job, house, car, holidays…but underlying that public image was a world of turmoil and pain, both for me and those closest to me. None of us wanted this, all we wanted was a normal happy life together.
‘I’d tried everything from cutting down, self-imposed abstinence, AA and residential rehab clinics. The most I stayed clean was five months. The obsession and craving always remained stronger than my desire to stop. It worked its way into everything I thought and did each minute of the day. It was more important to me than anything in my life because I was willing to risk everything for my addiction and I did lose a lot.’
Finding Addiction Recovery: ‘We Were Genuinely There to Help Each Other’
‘By chance, I saw an ad for Help Me Stop. Desperate to change my life but armed with a thick armour of protective scepticism, I contacted Help Me Stop, met the team and enrolled. I joined my group believing I’d probably last only a week or so before deciding it was another waste of time and effort. Unexpectedly, I quickly began to adapt and integrate more and more with the team. Our stories, fears, worries, anxieties and hopes were all so alike. We freely discussed everything and anything, never feeling embarrassed to open up about something that was troubling us or a situation that triggered an urge to pick up. We were genuinely there to help each other achieve happiness in life. Our therapist structured and guided the group sessions in a servant leader capacity, helping us to explore and understand different aspects of ourselves: our fears, our weaknesses, our strengths, our vulnerabilities, our emotions, coping mechanisms and more. They were so enlightening and liberating, providing me with a clearer picture of who I used to be, who I am and who I want to be.
‘The one-to-one sessions twice a week with Moira, my appointed Help Me Stop therapist, were at the core of my resolve to succeed. Therapists I’d engaged with prior to coming to Help Me Stop generally told me what I wanted to hear. Moira on the other hand, was honest and straight with me. We reflected on aspects of my life: examining, debating, disagreeing, agreeing, laughing and setting short term goals for me to achieve. My one-to-ones became a real respite for me and forced me to set aside time to really focus on my individual recovery and future.
‘Help Me Stop worked for me because while it’s fundamentally focused on helping you control and manage addiction, it goes further and provides you with tools to manage your general wellbeing. Since the programme runs alongside your normal daily routine, you can practise what you learn at Help Me Stop in the real world and gauge yourself as you progress. This was a huge motivation for me. It’s not too dissimilar from starting to visit the gym regularly and quickly seeing positive changes in your physical appearance, as well as areas to be worked on. It’s so uplifting to see the hope and happiness return to the loved ones around you as they too see the difference.’
Looking Forward in Addiction Recovery: ‘I Want to Own and Define the Rest of My Life’
‘I now have renewed self-confidence. I grow stronger mentally and physically each day. I’m no longer afraid of what life has in store for me. In fact, I now relish the challenges because I can deal with them and feel accomplished when I do. I feel happy, optimistic and want to own and define the rest of my life. Don’t get me wrong, my addiction is and will always be with me, but instead of banging loudly in the prison cell next door, now I hear a faint thud in a room somewhere down the corridor.
‘Help Me Stop did the trick for me. I arrived an exhausted, depressed, broken cynic and left an invigorated person. I walked away from AA, therapists and residential rehab centres in the past. No-one left the Help Me Stop programme while I was there.
‘I hope this provides you with some insight into my experiences and no matter what recovery path you choose. I wish you all the very best. Life can and will get so much better.’
Danny
Addiction Treatment in London and Online
- Help Me Stop provides intensive Dayhab addiction treatment in London and our Online Rehab, which is accessible worldwide with a computer and wifi.
- Our programme is based on the 12-step model of addiction treatment and it incorporates integrative psychotherapy, peer support, recovery workshops and community-based 12 step recovery meetings.
- It works: our treatment outcomes are as good as residential rehab, at a fraction of the cost. Our prices are low because our clients don’t have to pay all the overheads associated with residential addiction treatment, with no compromise on the quality of care.
- Call 0208 191 9191 to find out more about our programmes or contact us here. Your enquiry is confidential.
