My drug use had spiralled from the odd bit of weed as a young teenager, to then using party drugs when I got out of a children’s residential home at the age of 16. From a young age I was always in bother with the police, in trouble at school and generally making my single Mum’s life torture. I was diagnosed with ADHD, seeing a child’s psychologist and had constant involvement with social workers… the list goes on. 

Drugs was always appealing to me and I really enjoyed getting high. When I got out of care it felt to me that the world was my oyster as I wasn’t restrained by care or my Mum’s house. I was a young lad out to prove something and partying and drugs was what I wanted. I was eager to get higher than everyone else and have wilder weekend stories than everyone else and after having some pretty hard drug sessions I wanted to take it further, which led me to crack and heroin.

Once I started with the really heavy drugs my life started to unravel at a much faster rate, because the problem was that I wasn’t just chasing a high, I was addicted.

There was only one drive and that was getting heroin. All the housing, debt, finances, prospects, girlfriend, family etc was now on the back burner – heroin was all I wanted. Things got so bad that the thought of going to jail was a positive life choice as it offered a weird sense of stability, i.e. regular methadone and 3 square meals.

Then after burning too many bridges and with no prospects I decided through desperation to consider Teen Challenge. I was very apprehensive but was desperate to get off the gear and Sunnybrae was a potential way out. 

When I got to Teen Challenge it was exactly what was in the name; a ‘challenge’, and after one month I left the programme to go straight to a dealer’s house and into a drug bust. I immediately started to massively regret my decision to leave. I ended up breaking down and started to pray. Fortunately, I was able to get back on the programme and this time I really committed to the teachings, the discipline and the faith side of things.

It was the hardest but most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life.

The programme equipped me so much and the teachings are still shaping my life 10 years on from graduating.

As I said, I came to Teen Challenge just wanting ‘off the gear’, but there was a whole other thing that needed sorting and that was me. Teen Challenge got to the heart of my issues and my attitude to life, people, God, and I use what was instilled in me in every area of my life. Also I came to a Christian faith which has seen me through many, many challenges. I am now married, working, with a beautiful son and another on the way.

Breaking free from heroin was a by-product of catching a vision for a life I wanted and now choose freely. I will always be thankful to Teen Challenge and the staff for living out their vision.

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