My life before ResetLife was fuelled by alcohol and drugs, in particular cocaine. I was an addict and didn't know it.
In February 2015, my business of 18 years was put into Voluntary Administration. In an instant my life as I knew changed forever. My entire sense of identity was taken away from me, my job was gone, my income was gone. My self esteem was non-existent, I was extremely depressed, I had no sense of purpose, no direction and nowhere to live for an extended period of time. I couch surfed from brothers to sisters to mates. I had no car or form of transportation for years.
Previous to this period my relationship with my ex partner had broken down, she had sold our family house and moved into a rental with my three daughters. The family unit as I knew it had fractured and I was alone.
In this period my mother, whom I loved dearly and deeply, died. What prevailed was 8 years of brutal, excessive, intense and destructive use of alcohol and drugs. I felt often my life was not worth living and experienced regular suicidal ideation. It is important to note here, pre-2015 I was using regularly and destructively for 25-30 years. Most of my adult life. I had normalised my use into my lifestyle and was unaware I was an addict. Predisposed to various conditions such as ADHD, BPD, trauma and anxiety fuelled this use.
Somehow, someway, I found my way to First Step in January of this year, 2023.
The ResetLife program saved my life. Gave me my life back and has given me great hope for what lies ahead in the rest of my life.
The program provided structure and routine in my life. The information and knowledge I received was relevant and relatable. The delivery and quality of the councilors in the program was exceptional. People I have not only never come across in my life before, but people with compassion, empathy, emotional intelligence and care. I felt very connected and cared for by Zoe, Benn and Andrew. The other participants in the group itself were a great source of comfort, humility and inspiration to me.
ResetLife has changed my life. The content, structure, delivery and skills it has equipped me with has broken an extreme addictive behavioural cycle and given me hope and a platform to rebuild my life.
There is a long way to go, I'm at the beginning. I realise recovery now needs to be central to my life. It is.
Let's get the show on the road.
