"The Life changing help and support I received from CGL"

I have been in addiction for many years with alcohol. In the end I had no quality of life, will to live, I had lost everything and I genuinely felt that I was beyond, or worthy even of, any help. I had tried to take my life and I was put into an induced coma. I was so desperate to be out of my life and the existence that it was.

I was signposted to CGL and my life was literally turned around, I was assessed and given a key worker, Danielle, whom I worked with and was advised that I would need rehab, something that I had never ever thought about before. It didn't happen overnight, but I was fortunate to get funding to get me into Medical Detox and 3 months' rehab at Broadway Lodge, Western-super-Mare.

I had been in such a bad place for a very long time and my alcoholism had progressed, was at its worst point. Danielle at CGL gave me the opportunity to change my life, seriously change my life with the funding. I had never felt worthy or even cared, but Danielle did, CGL did. It gave me the chance to finally get the professional help that I needed.

Today I am over 18 months sober, I have totally turned my life around and I wake up and want to, I owe my life to CGL and have eternal gratitude. To hear your father say that he has got his daughter back is definitely an amazing feeling,to hear your grandchildren call you Nanny and tell you that they love you, to know that your son wants to have contact with you again, after thinking that he would never talk to you ever again, to be there for my eldest daughter, and in my first year of recovery.

I had contact with my youngest daughter on Mother's Day, there's honestly no words. I had been lost in addiction for so long, I have a respect for life today. I left Broadway Lodge and moved into a dry house, as I wanted to continue with my journey in supported living. I want to do everything for my Recovery, I was given this amazing and massive opportunity and I want to embrace it and continue doing everything I can.

I left The Miracle Mansion Broadway Lodge, and I am still living in the dry house today, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I left Rehab and done what was advised, I joined AA my Fellowship, got a Sponsor, Homegroup and Service, I still have the same Sponsor, and have gone through the steps. I will become a Sponsor myself, I do lots of service and I have found that I have a calling to get the message, to pass the joys of Recovery on.

Honestly, I can't stress enough that if I am able to live the life I am doing today, then you can, it's possible, I have been back to my Rehab four times now,to do ex resident's share. I was asked to go back on Christmas eve, what a total and utter privilege, 

I have also done a podcast, I am so passionate about Recovery and letting people see that it's possible, you have to work for it and it's a 24 hour, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

But my addiction is, and when I was in active addiction I would fall asleep with a drink and wake up and carry on drinking it. I learnt that I will be an addict forever, and I can't comprehend even today saying I will never drink again, it's too much, so I keep it simple and I do it a day at a time. 

I have done a BSL introduction course and am going to be doing levels 1 and 2 at college, I also am doing a Introduction to Mental Health level 2 course. I never believed I would be able to do any of what I am doing today, yet here I am. It's only achievable as I am in Recovery, I know that I can never take my Recovery for granted, and I don't want to. I love the life I have today, and so do my family. Recovery creates a ripple effect, it's amazing.

There's nothing nicer than going to bed today and knowing that I've done my best, recognising what I have done wrong, that I have been the best person that I can be, it's so much nicer waking up without that fear, guilt and worry of what you have done the night before, because even when I hadn't done anything, I always woke up with dread and fear. 

Today I know that my Recovery is the most important thing in my life and must come above and before everything else, without it I wouldn't have my life. 

I have so much gratitude for Danielle, who believed in me and in turn that let me believe in myself, for her work in getting me the funding, there will never be enough words, so I show my gratitude by continuing with my Recovery, my life and showing people that it's possible. I am also going to go into something around helping others in addiction as my job.

Thank you so much for everything, there's never going to be enough words.