Chemfun Charlie

I wasn’t sure if being in a ‘programme’ will help my recovery and addiction problem but what have I got to lose anyway?

Photograph: Upsplash.com

Photograph: Upsplash.com

I felt at the end of my ropes, suffering from depression, suicidal tendencies and anxieties. First, it was using alcohol to escape the negative emotion. Then when alcohol lost its appeal, it was drugs that kept me going. I was burning candles at both ends until I had a breakdown and it was at the advice of my psychiatrist that I decided to seek help at The Greenhouse. 

The thinking was being in a safe environment with like minded people, the prospects of recovery would be much higher and at the same time I will have a support group to guide me out of my depression too.

I wasn’t sure if being in a ‘program’ will help my recovery and addiction problem, but what have I got to lose anyway? 

I attended my first meeting and immediately, a sense of relief washed over me when I heard stories that were similar to mine. I felt I wasn’t alone in this journey – that was the lifeline! 

The safe environment where privacy was strictly enforced and support was peer-focused helped me in processing my own demons and confronting them.

Through their sharing, I began to map my own recovery journey and I felt I was regaining power and control in my life. It wasn’t entirely a bed of roses but sitting with my peers, I was able to navigate through the bunch of thorns.

It has been over 12 months; I am where I never thought I would be.

It is with The Greenhouse, that I have gotten my life back. For those who are considering help, take that first step; it will be the biggest step you ever made in your life. Trust me.

 

Chemfun Charlie

Alaric Tan