Recovery is Possible.

Over the past 9 weeks I have been facilitating a weekly group therapy program for people recovering from addiction - drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex - often all of the above.

Going into this group I was conscious of the importance of my role in the group and the power of the language that I would use throughout the 12 week duration - I am mindful to never use words like "clean" and "dirty" when referring to people who engage in substance use or those that are in recovery.

The word "dirty" suggests that drug users are bad, grubby, unclean people - an unfair assumption and one that doesn't accurately capture the despair and chronic struggle that people in active addiction live with - even more complex when paired with a co-morbidity of mental illness and the word "dirty" is often an assumption that couldn't be further from the truth - where as the word "clean" suggests a person of good and proper character and perhaps a person above others - not a person who is fighting and clawing every fucking day of their life to not pick up and use again.

Throughout this past 9 weeks as a group we have laughed, we have cried and we have shared raw human emotions that only those in recovery and the families that support them could know.

One thing continually comes back to me as I prepare to deliver the final few sessions of this group and that is that there is a road to recovery and that above all else - that road is built on trust - a trust that is so hard to give when it has been broken along with your heart by years of lies - lies to loved ones, lies to the system and lies to oneself - but we cannot ever give up hope because that hope and that trust is what continues to pave that road to recovery that is there if you want it.

#recoveryispossible

How was RWTP conceived?

Well the short answer is - it’s been 39 years in the making and was born from a desire to help others heal from my own life experiences….

The long answer is:

On the 18th May 2021 - I attended a Mental Health and Suicide Symposium and as I watched the presenters present on a wide array of topics - academia, trauma, Suicide prevention and surviving from a lived experience perspective - all very impressive and well thought out talks & although in awe of the guests - I couldn’t help but think there was something missing and there was something I could offer and that maybe one day I could share that stage and tell my story.

For the days following - I couldn’t shake that feeling - an internal spark ignited to a flame & that flame burnt to a fire and that’s when @rollingwiththepunches_official was born.

Fast forward 365 days to the 18th May 2022 - exactly one year to the day from that first conference and I was fortunate enough to be the key note speaker for Day 2 of the NSW Aboriginal Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference.

RWTP is 39 years in the making but as a business we are almost 1 year old, in the past year we have built inreach to schools, prisons, community organisations, health services, sporting clubs and more but most importantly given people a chance to access the interventions and support they need to heal and recover in a safe environment that is underpinned by the ethos of “What happened yesterday, does not need to dictate what happens tomorrow”

From slow beginnings, people not responding to emails and proposals, taking free services when I was trying to break into the industry and then ghosting my invoices when it came time to be paid, working out where we fit without treading on other peoples toes and developing the courage to not only talk the talk but to walk the walk as well - alongside a full time family, full time job, full time study and another part time job - it was hard and it’s a juggle, it’s constantly a juggle - but if you care about something enough - you will make the time.

Thank you to my beautiful wife & home boss @kghittino for believing in this and believing in me, and also thank you to my work boss @mdb125 for giving me the flexibility to do this work and pushing me to be a bit better everyday.

#mentalhealthmatters

#recoveryispossible

#livedexperienceisnotworkexperience

#itsokaynottobeokay

#rollingwiththepunches