"My Journey At CGL From Addiction to Recovery"

For twenty years—from the age of thirteen to thirty-three, I lived in addiction. I moved through countless systems and multiple rehabs. Each one offered structure, medication, and a routine, but every single one missed something essential: the genuine heart, attention, and care that I found with Sam and the CGL team.

When I returned to CGL after about five years away, I arrived with very little hope. My memory of the system was simple: collect your methadone, leave quickly, and fight the rest on your own. I was completely unprepared for how much things had changed. The level of support, compassion, and involvement I received was far beyond anything I had known before.

My key worker is Sam, and I can honestly say that without her support, I would not be standing here today. Session after session, she helped me understand that recovery is not only physical, most of the battle is mental. She taught me that strength comes from renewing the mind, and she walked beside me as I learned how to do that. There were moments when I broke down in front of her, moments when I felt weak and overwhelmed, but she never wavered. She kept me grounded, encouraged, and focused on the path forward. She helped me regain control of my life piece by piece.

These past months have been absolutely crucial. I wanted to do everything in my power to get off methadone and all opiates entirely. When I explained my plan to Sam, a fast taper from 80 ml to 20 ml, then switching to Espranor and reducing from 8 mg to 0 mg in just six weeks, she was the first person to tell me I could do it. She never doubted me, not once. She didn’t try to hold me back or slow me down. She supported my determination and strengthened it.

There is something unique about Sam, something almost like a light inside her. When she speaks, that light seems to reach you and lift you up. Her confidence becomes your confidence. Her belief in you becomes something you can actually feel. In all my years of addiction, I’ve never met someone who puts as much heart into their work. She genuinely cares about people like us, people who come in broken, addicted, and at their lowest. She treats us as human beings with value and dignity. That alone can be the spark someone needs to keep going.

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that matter most: her asking how I am, checking if I need anything, taking a moment to talk instead of rushing through. To someone lost in darkness, even a small light becomes everything.

I want to express my deepest thanks to Sam. She hasn’t just helped me, she has clearly helped many others through her years of service. I know that ultimately it was God who set me free, but I firmly believe Sam was His vessel, guiding me through the hardest stages with compassion, patience, and genuine care. She stopped me from panicking, from giving up, from believing it was impossible. She helped me reach the other side after what felt like dancing with the devil.

Even now, completely free from opiates and any drugs at all, she continues to check in. She encourages me to join groups, classes, and opportunities that will strengthen my recovery. That shows me I’m not just a number in a system—I’m a person she truly cares about.

People like Sam are rare. Too often in addiction services, you feel the lack of care. But with CGL and especially with Sam, you see the opposite. You see someone who isn’t there just for a paycheck or a routine. You see someone who genuinely wants to save lives, help people grow, rebuild families, and give people the chance to live long enough to see a different future.

That kind of heart is precious in this world.

Thank you, Sam. And thank you, CGL, for giving me what no other service ever did: real human care and the belief that freedom is possible.