"Recovery from alcohol addiction"

I started to attend Inclusion about 12 months ago. I had been in long-term recovery, but had gone back to drinking and life had become horrible again.

The staff at Inclusion are all very encouraging, understanding and helpful. I met with a recovery worker for an assessment, and we put together a plan for my recovery.

This plan included attending group sessions, and also AA meetings (which I was already doing). In addition, we agreed goals that I would like to achieve, such as returning to work, and becoming independent again,

I didn't immediately put the drink down, but I did consistently attend meetings both at Inclusion and AA, and I got a lot of support.

In January 2024, I did have my last drink, and Inclusion have been a great support. When I was ready to look for work again, they introduced my to Re:Work, a service run by Portsmouth City Council to help people back to work.

Inclusion provided a routine with regular meetings, and regular 1;1 sessions with my recovery worker. As I approached 6 months of recovery, we had a discussion and formed a plan for me to 'graduate' from Inclusion, with confidence that I had a plan to support my on-going recovery, and the assurance that they were always there if I wanted further support.

I had attended a service similar to Inclusion around 4-5 years ago. I found there that many of the people attending were still drinking and/or using, which I found uncomfortable. When I started with Inclusion, I mentioned this and expressed my reticence. However, I found that the vast majority of people attending Inclusion were clean and sober.

I am very grateful to Inclusion and the staff there, and would recommend it to anyone who had a need. 

I would like to see more notice when service users sessions are cancelled.