‘My name is Mick and I arrived in Ravenscourt in March 2011. I had been taking drugs and drinking for thirty plus years. For the past six years I’ve been trying to get dry and clean but could never manage more than a few days at a time. I tried various ways to stop using such as day programmes and courses around substance misuse issues but I could never maintain any sort of recovery. For the last year prior to coming to Ravenscourt my health, both mentally and physically, became so bad that I knew if I didn’t do something different I would not be around for much longer, so when it was suggested to me to get myself to a rehab I didn’t feel that I had too many options left.
‘I entered Ravenscourt in December 2010. I didn’t know what to expect, what I found was a structured non-judgmental establishment. To someone like myself that had never had discipline in my life except prison it began as a hard regime, it’s not a walk in the park, they strip you bare and make you look at yourself honestly, which we all need as addicts and alcoholics because in our mind we are the victims: blaming anybody and everybody for our predicament except ourselves. The job is to change the way we think which is done by group meetings, 1to1 with counsellors and AA and NA.
‘In April 2011 I was one of the lucky ones who were granted funding for three months for residential rehabilitation after struggling with alcoholism for almost 30 years. I had many attempt at trying to stop drinking but to no avail. I did about five detoxes prior to Ravenscourt but I was still unable to remain abstinent. Eventually I was assigned a Care Worker from my local council. She had had dealings with Ravenscourt in the past and she recommend that I try for funding to get treatment there.
Ravenscourt Trust - Registered Charity 1000296