BEACON: Celebrating a new life and banishing the alcohol blues.
David’s* life fell apart when alcohol took over. He found himself jobless and homeless, either sofa surfing or living on the streets until his mum referred him to Turning Lives Around (TLA). He tells us how he is slowly getting his life back…
“I had always worked and, as well as holding down a job, was in a steady relationship. Then alcohol took over and I lost it all. My relationship broke down, I lost my partner, my home, my job and, worst of all, my daughter.
For a year I lived either on the streets or dossed down on friends’ sofas before mum stepped in and pointed me in the direction of TLA.
I moved into a shared house and, with support from my support worker Karen, I began my recovery. Mental health wise I wasn’t in a good place. As well as being alcohol dependant, the situation I had found myself in meant I was depressed. I started on medication to help tackle my depression and Karen helped me to access alcohol services at the local doctors.
My next goals on the road to recovery were to bid for my own tenancy and to get a job. The belief Karen showed she had in me was invaluable and for the first time I felt able to attend DWP coaching sessions to help me get back to work and start to have contact with my daughter at my mum’s.
With support I started to bid for re-housing and I couldn’t believe it when the council offered me a two-bedroom property, so my daughter could stay over at weekends. Not only was I able to decorate as Karen got me free paint, I was also able to get a cooker and fridge plus furniture provided by a local charity. At last I had my own home again!
Things continued to look up. With ongoing support from my work coach, I began working full time and am now settled in my tenancy, enjoying weekends with my daughter and working hard for our future.”
* Client names and images may have been changed to protect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding.