Last week, I left a meeting with my Beam Member Manager and felt that for first time in my life, I'm doing something positive. This is new for me. I first used drugs aged 10. By my teens, I was locked into a lifestyle of crime, hard drug use and homelessness. It's only since going through rehab and getting support that, older and wiser, I know there's so much more life can offer.
On my 30th birthday, I was sat in a prison cell and it finally dawned on me just how serious my problems were. I had no money and two children that weren’t in my life. After I left prison, I tried to stay sober but couldn’t manage it. The final time I used was horrific. I smashed my head open and ended up in hospital. The local drug services could see how bad my addiction had become and referred me into a rehab.
I’m now over 7 months clean and living in a hostel. I can now sit with myself without running away from my problems. Therapy has shown me I can be brave and I’m rebuilding my relationship with my family.
Working with electronics has always interested me; we use so much of it as a society and there’s a good choice of routes for once you’re trained. With your help, it’ll be a trade I’ll have for the rest of my life.