Hi there,
My name is Scott and I’m telling you my story through CrossReach this Spring, So you hear about my journey and how support like yours gives someone like me a second chance.
I was brought up in the west of Scotland, and had a reasonably good upbringing. I was always troubled emotionally and physically and was hyper-active but was never assessed or diagnosed with ADHD or anything like that. I started smoking cigarettes, cannabis and drinking alcohol when I was aged about 9 or 10 years old and as I was out of control for Mum and Dad, I ended up in the youth care system.
I ended up homeless, living rough on the streets of Glasgow, in common closes/common landings of buildings and anywhere where I could avoid the wind and rain; I stayed in homeless hostels and I sofa surfed on couches in drug dens.
I lost all respect for myself. My Mum and Dad, my sister, my aunties and uncles blamed themselves for my behaviours. I lost all contact with them after causing them all sorts of upset and pain.
I overdosed on cocaine and heroin and I got told if I left hospital I’d die. I ignored hospital advice and left to buy more drugs. A couple of days later I overdosed again and I had the realisation that this was how I was going to die if I didn’t do something and for me the question in my head was
“Do I want to live or die?
At that point I spoke with my Care Manager and she arranged for me to get help in Rehab. I was on a methadone script (prescription and I came off my meth a month before I came to CrossReach – Whiteinch Move On.
At Whiteinch I was initially a rabbit caught in the headlights in the early stages of recovery, I had no confidence and was lost and didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. The support really was immense, so helpful, if I needed to talk they were there, If I needed something they were there. Staff spent as much time with me as they could . Nothing was an issue with helping you. I started to realise I wasn’t alone and I went to fellowship meetings in the community and got a Sponsor.
My confidence and self esteem began to get better and I started to believe in myself. It’s still a work in progress.
I turned my life around and built up relationships with my sister, my mum and dad, my gran, my auntie just everybody gave me a second chance and I hope I’m doing them proud. They leave me keys to the house to look after the house, leave things lying around knowing I’m not going to take things.
I now have my own home and I’m in a relationship with my partner and I’m a proud Dad to my 3 month old son Lucas. It’s really busy being a Dad but it’s an amazing feeling. I now also have a brilliant relationship with my Mum and sister and her family and see them regularly.
CrossReach is a brilliant organisation who make you feel part of something and when you leave their Service they still keep in touch with you and continue to support you. I was in a very bad place abusing drugs on regular basis for number of years, I don’t want to use old Cliché but if I can do it anyone can do it.
Scotland has the highest level of drug and alcohol misuse compared to the rest of the UK. Drug and alcohol-related death rates are among the highest in Europe and have doubled in the last 15 years, increasing by 17% alone in the last couple of years.
Providing support to people just like Scott gives a second chance and its your support which makes that chance possible.
It costs over £101 to support one person, per day at our Whiteinch Move on service alone, providing professional care and accommodation;
Please give what you are able to help us save even more lives in Scotland. You could be a lifeline to someone like Scott
Simply click below to donate today or get in touch with our friendly fundraising team by calling 0131 454 4341. Thank you
