Client Story – New Beginnings

I sought treatment through New Beginnings after 17 years of everyday use of drugs and alcohol. This had spun my life out of control. I was a high functioning drug user who worked, drove and lived under the influence of either alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamines or prescription drugs.

 

I used every day because I didn’t know how to live life on life’s terms; I used drugs as a coping mechanism to block out reality and the feelings of depression – not realising that drugs played a big part of causing that depression in the first place. I was so used to blocking out my feelings I didn’t know how to deal with feelings at all whether they be good or bad. My using became unmanageable and so did my life. This is what brought me to WHOS New Beginnings program in Rozelle, as I wanted and needed just that; a new beginning and a new way of living.

 

This program offers more than the basic coping mechanisms to live without drugs and alcohol in my life; it also provides me with a whole range of tools to deal with life on life’s terms. These include boundaries, emotional support, relapse prevention, managing feelings, delayed gratification, assertiveness, self awareness and discipline. It also teaches us life skills and how to better manage ourselves so we can reintegrate back into society with confidence and to know what is socially acceptable.

 

The WHOS New Beginnings program has also taught me values and principles, in which I can live my life by in order to behave responsibly, have respect for myself and others around me, be loyal to my peers, be willing to change and do whatever it takes to put recovery first. I am taught how important it is to be honest and to have trust in the processes in which all my life has been foreign to me. The New Beginnings program and the staff here have my best interests at heart and are dedicated in helping me change my way of life and obtaining my recovery by being responsible for my actions and doing the suggested things.

 

I can now see by after completing this program I will have the tools to stay clean from drugs and alcohol and also become a responsible member of the community. I truly believe the WHOS New Beginning program saves lives and if you are open-minded to this program and be open to change, it really works. This is why I am so grateful for the help from my peers and staff and this therapeutic community program.