Thames Festival Trust Logo Phoenix Futures
Phoenix Futures for...
People & Families who use our services Find a service Supporting you in the Justice System Supporting you with Housing Supporting you with Residential Treatment Supporting you in the Community Understanding the jargon
Commissioners and professionals Residential Treatment Best Practice guidance How to commission us Partnering with us Recovery Housing Provision Recovery through Nature Recovery through the Arts Recovery through Sport
Career Seekers and Volunteers Current vacancies Working at Phoenix Volunteering for us
About Phoenix Futures
Our approach to recovery Our Strategy Our Models of Treatment
Meet Phoenix Futures Our History Our Team Guiding Principles Networks
Supporting us Corporate support Make a donation
Spotlight on recovery Phoenix News and Views Recovery stories Reports and Resources Anti-Stigma Work Making Rehab Work Peer Mentoring and Volunteering in Essex
Phoenix Futures Scotland
For People & Families who use our services Find a service Our Projects in Scotland
For commissioners and professionals How to commission us Partnering with us
Careers & Volunteering Volunteering for us Scotland Join Our Team Scotland
Meet Phoenix Futures Scotland Our Strategy Scotland Guiding Principles Scotland Our History Scotland Our Team Scotland
Spotlight on recovery in Scotland Phoenix News and Views Scotland Recovery stories Scotland Reports
Phoenix Futures Essex
For People & Families Who Use Our Service - Essex Find a service Essex Supporting you in Essex
Careers & Volunteering Essex Peer Mentoring and Volunteering in Essex Current Vacancies
Spotlight on recovery in Essex Recovery stories Essex
Search

Andrew's Story

Sharing the lived experience of people who have accessed our residential services.

14th December 2021

In light of the release of the new drug strategy and as part of our Making Rehab Work report – we are sharing the lived experiences of people who have accessed our residential services to reinforce the need for equality of access to residential treatment across the country. 

Andrew’s Story 

I was born and grew up in Stockport, it wasn’t a bad place to live and I was mostly a happy kid. I had a good upbringing from a loving family, my Mum was a dinner lady and my dad worked for the Post Office. 

Around the age of 13 I had a few difficult experiences, I lost my Nanna and then someone else close to me died, I felt really down, I didn’t know how to process my emotions, so I never spoke to anyone about how I was feeling. 

As the time went on my mental health was getting worse, it escalated when I was mugged, which really knocked my confidence and made me feel more anxious. I started smoking weed and drinking to manage my anxiety and disassociate. I was finding it hard to cope, especially at school.   

Drugs were a part of the culture where I was growing up, it was what we did at the weekends to have fun, I was 15 when I first started taking amphetamines and times were good despite me having dropped out of school early as I was really struggling with my mental health. Years later drugs were still helping me to escape how I was feeling and the monotony of working night shifts.

Then, my relationship with my girlfriend ended and this sent me further down the spiral of struggling with my mental health, feeling depressed, anxious and using drugs to cope. I started taking out loans so that I could buy more drugs, then I started taking out loans to pay back the loans and buy more drugs. I was heavily in debt, addicted to using drugs and suicidal.

I was 23 when I first sought help, initially I went to my GP and he was really supportive, he referred me to Mosaic, a young person’s drug and alcohol service in Stockport, he also called me regularly to check that I was ok. I really appreciated him being so caring and not judging me, it’s not easy asking for help. 

After a few months of going to groups I was still using and was desperately unhappy so when my key worker suggested rehab, I knew that this could be the opportunity that I needed to change my life and get better. I was awarded funding for 3 months and arrived at Phoenix in Summer 2019

After 3 months were up and I was making good progress, I applied for extended funding and was awarded another 6 weeks. I felt lucky to get extra time, there were people that I was in treatment with that really struggled to get funding at all, some had to wait years and were then only given 3 months. One man that I met said that he had to relocate to a different postcode area to access rehab as the town where he was from originally wouldn’t fund rehab placements. Whilst the access process was smooth for me and I felt fully supported and encouraged first by my GP and then by my keyworker at Mosaic, I understand that the process is not the same for everyone and that doesn’t seem fair. 

Rehab worked for me, it was super difficult and challenging, but it helped me to learn to laugh again, my confidence grew, and it changed my life. It’s been nearly two years since I graduated, I am living in Phoenix supported housing here in the Wirral where there is a big recovery community, we all support each other. I am volunteering with a local youth club, I play guitar in the church band and am looking forward to getting back into work. 

Christmas is coming up and I am excited to spend it with my family, I have a brother and two sisters and love watching their faces as they open their Christmas gifts. I am playing guitar in a candle lit carol concert at the church this year. I feel so lucky that I have been able to get my life on track and for all the support that I have received especially because I know that not everyone gets that opportunity. 
 

Debbie, Andrew’s Mum

We are incredibly proud of Andrew for what he has achieved. Without rehab and Phoenix I really worry that he would not be with us. Rehab not only helped him overcome his addictions but helped get him the assistance he needed for his mental health.

He was very lucky to get rehab so quickly but this was in part his age and was able to be referred through mosaic (drug/alcohol/mental health for young people in Stockport).  He kept pushing for rehab knowing that without it he wouldn’t have succeeded.

 

Making Rehab work – read the full report here 

Phoenix News & Views

Read all blog posts

Stop weaponising stigma

16th May 2025

We have seen again this weekend a shocking example of stigmatising, offensive and counterproductive media reporting  Zombie Drug Horror.I’m not encouraging…

Discover more

Accelerate away from the safe ground

7th March 2025

Can true gender equality ever be achieved without considering the epidemic of violence against women and girls? For this year’s International Women’s…

Discover more

Saving the last residential rehab for families in England

26th November 2024

We were recently forced to announce that despite significant investment in drug treatment in recent years none of this funding had reached residential…

Discover more
Thames Festival Trust Logo Phoenix Futures
Annual Reports and Accounts Gender Pay Reporting Compliments & Complaints Contact Us Privacy and Cookies Policy
OSCR
Age Friendly
Living Wage
Anti-Stigma Network
Disability Confident
Phoenix Futures is a registered charity in England and Wales (No 284880) and in Scotland (No SCO39008); Company Limited by Guarantee Number 1626869; Registered Provider of Social Housing with Homes England (H3795).
© 2025 Phoenix Futures | All Rights Reserved Site by Grandad.digital