My name is **********. I'm 21 years old. I was living in Melbourne in an abusive relationship and had a lifestyle of abusing drugs and alcohol. It started when i was 18 and i fell into it through friends when socialising. It started off by simply trying marijuana occasionally and then progressed to daily use of marijuana and amphetamines. Peer pressure had a lot to do with it. I also was addicted to alcohol which became a daily problem due to a bad relationship. It was a very unstable period of my life as i didn't have a secure place of my own to stay. While under the influence of drugs and alcohol i caused injury to a police woman, which has led to a court case, which is still to be finalised in February 2012. At present the judge has said that they will look at my good record at Shay Louise House in not getting a conviction.

I also had a hard childhood and was affected by this. I was sexually abused as a young girl by a close member of the family. I suffered through trauma from my mother's emotional instability through to my teenage years.

All of this has impacted me on the following.

* I was enrolled in University and studying at my first year, which i could not keep up with because of my drug and alcohol addiction.

* I had a number of part time jobs during this period which were negatively impacted because of my lifestyle. I could not keep the jobs or i was let go.

* During this period of time drugs were all i could think about. If i had employment i would negotiate drugs around my employment.

* I had one car accident while under the influence of drugs.

* It has affected me very much mentally. I began to hear voices around June 2010 which increased with drug use. This has been diagnosed as a drug psychosis. It has now nearly diminished at this point in time.

* My physical state was impacted by lack of eating and weight loss due to drugs and abusive relationship.

I arrived in Adelaide in November 2010 to live at my Grandmothers where i'm still residing. I initially contacted Wesley United who referred me to Shay Louise House. I have been at Shay Louise House since January 2011 and graduated December 2011 and will be continuing until March.

Shay Louise House has helped me to gain more self awareness and confidence. It has given me strategies to avoid alcohol and drugs. I have received support and encouragement from the staff and counsellors. The inner child workshop was especially important as it helped me look at issues that i didn't even know were there. Without the support and knowledge gained from Shay Louise House i would be using drugs and alcohol. I would still be accepting an abusive relationship and may be dead or have a thoroughly hardened drug habit. I appreciate what the counsellors have done for me at the Shay Louise House and i'm very grateful to be where i am today.

Currently i have my name down at Adelaide University to study Nursing for 2012. I'm aware of eating healthily and taking good care of myself. As previously stated my drug psychosis is virtually gone. I have problem solving skills and assertive tools that will help me to not accept relationships that are bad for me. I feel confident that i have overcome my addictions. I also feel confident that the judge will see that i've made changes and improvements in my life and that this will be taken into account at my court case in February.

I feel overcome by my achievements. I have the support of the staff and counsellors to thank for at Shay Louise House. I look forward to achieving the rest of my goals.

Yours sincerely

The reason I chose to add this story was because I really feel it reflects my journey through the darkness of addiction and into the light of a sober life.  Before finding Shay Louise House, I had been involved with two other rehabilitation programs and because of the lack of accurate and detailed information provided, I managed to convince myself that I could do better, that I knew better than these programs.  The problem with this is that you don’t know about the traps, the stinking thinking, the dry drunk/drug, the three month hurdles.  Trying to quit on your own without a structured program is like trying to paddle a boat with one oar, you go around and around and eventually end up where you started.

On a very miserable day six months ago, I drove myself to Shay Louise House, and signed myself up for their DrugBeat Programme; the best decision I have ever made.

It’s tough nobody will ever tell you otherwise, but something that’s helped me and I have witnessed helping others, is information, information which leads you to understanding what’s happening on all levels; emotional, mental, and physical.  That most vital bit of information that I was given was that drugs stop you feeling on an emotional level, and that the first three months I was going to be feeling emotions that I hadn’t felt for years.  This was not easy, when these emotions come back boy do they come back with a vengeance, but with the help of the beautiful staff here at Shay Louise House I was able to understand and be comfortable with these feelings and not look to avoid and suppress them.  I am now six months clean and I won’t bullshit and tell you how sweet life is now, but life has improved out of sight and most importantly I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I never thought I would actually say this but I’m actually looking forward to my next six months of rehab, and even better yet, I’m looking forward to living a life of sobriety.

I have been a drug user for 22 years and with everything I have done and seen one thing I know is that no one comes off drugs by replacing them with clinical drugs, that is only a lie that drug users tell themselves so they don’t have to do a reality check on themselves and admit that they need to deal with why their on drugs in the first place.

Shay Louise House is the only safe and down to earth place who’s whole purpose is to help us find out why we do what we do and also find out who we really are, so that we in the end really live a life full of purpose and meaning and understanding of ourselves and others. Thank God for Shay Louise House.

If anyone out there really wants to come off drugs, all drugs including alcohol and prescription drugs, then come to Shay Louise House and I swear that if you give them 15 months of your life, they will give you the tools and confidence to live the rest of your life with absolute freedom to be whoever you really are, it’s hard work but very, very worth it.

To all at Shay Louise House Ann Eric Luke Georgina Leeanne Andrea Susan & Cris

I thank you for your vision, commitment belief and integrity. I thank you for being patient and inspiring teachers and wonderful loving human beings.

I thank you for your honest caring support and encouragement.  I am humbled by the gift you have allowed me to see in myself and the courage to have a better life for myself and my family.

With love and my deepest appreciation and respect.

02/10/2007 to 30/04/09

Well done you and well done me, may our lights shine bright.