Real Case Studies - part 4

How we measure success is not as linear as most people would expect.

Our successes can come as milestones on the long and often complicated road to recovery.This story is an example of that. Our client, who we will call Steve, first started using when he was 29.

Up until this point he had lived a relatively successful life, he was a professional, he had his own business, he had a partner, they were on the road to a semi-detached with 2 kids… or some such thing. Then life though in a curve ball, Steve hit a wall, his business went into free fall and his partner left him.

We all handle the challenges that life presents us in different ways; unfortunately Steve started using heroin to escape. There was always a part of Steve that knew this was a mistake and in 2001 he started his first prescribed methadone treatment to try for recovery.

In 2003 he had a major setback and was using again. He was in a cycle of destructive behaviour, was not working and had no permanent housing. This continued up until 2009 when he again tried to get clean by using street methadone, however, this was not working.

We met Steve in 2010 when he started with a methadone prescription in January. We saw that he was very conscientious, sensitive, aware and responsible and was motivated. We advised him on how to stay safe and he did everything to remain safe. He was motivated, he remembered when he was drug free and he wanted that life back.

He wanted to attend his sessions and he was attending regularly. He was his parents’ carer; both of his parents were receiving palliative care. Everything was going well as could be expected and Steve, and we, believed he was ready to take the next step to recovery.

And then his Mother passed away; it was around New Years Eve, Steve was very close to his mother and was deeply shaken by her passing. As if that wasn’t enough four months later Steve’s Father died.

Life had thrown up another massive challenge for Steve. It was almost as if life was taunting him to return to using. Steve was then informed that he was going to have to move, as the house his parents were staying in was special housing for disabled people.

We saw Steve weekly, we increased the support we could give him and provided him with all the guidance we could. He had come along way and he didn’t want to slip. There were a couple of minor setbacks, but he was honest with us, we could work with the truth. We are not here to judge, we know that the road is not straight and we know that a relationship that has trust can be open to more successful interventions.

And now he is clean, it would have been easy for him to slip and disappear into the darkness. However, he didn’t, life presented him with a massive challenge and he kept up his morale and was able to focus on his goal.

And when he is ready we will be here to help him on the next step to recovery.