We’re sharing Charlotte’s story to encourage other parents to reach out for help. Too many parents struggle in silence, worried that asking for support will mean losing their children. Charlotte’s journey shows that recovery is possible, and that services like Harper House and social services are there work with families to keep them together.
Charlotte
I grew up in a loving, stable home with my mum and dad. There was no trauma, no chaos just a good childhood. But despite all of that, I drifted into drugs when I was young. It started with weed and painkillers, and over time it escalated. By my early teens, I was smoking weed regularly, taking coke, and at one point using heroin. Drugs slowly became woven into every part of my life.
I’m a single mum to my daughter, Gillian, and it’s always just been the two of us. She never fully understood what was happening, but she knew something wasn’t right. I wasn’t well, and we didn’t play or go to the park like other families. At school, she had a key worker because she was struggling with some behavioural issues. It was her key worker who first encouraged me to look into Harper House.
Arriving at Harper House
Referring myself to Harper House was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I knew it meant social services would need to be involved, and that terrified me. I worried constantly about what it might mean for Gillian. But deep down, I also knew that if I didn’t make a change, I could lose everything anyway. So I took the step, scared, but determined.
I ended up spending seven months and one week at Harper House.
When I arrived, I was angry, mistrusting, and difficult. I pushed people away because that felt safer. But the staff never reacted with frustration or judgement. They were patient, calm, and consistent in a way I had never experienced. Slowly, I started to let my guard down.
At first, I struggled being around the other families. I wasn’t used to people. I didn’t want to open up. But over time, something changed. I realised we were all fighting a different version of the same battle. We understood each other in a way nobody else could. That community, the women, became such an important part of my healing.
The Impact on Gillian
Harper House didn’t just change my life, it changed Gillian’s life too.
She learned what boundaries were. She learned respect, stability, and calm. The swearing at home stopped. She started listening more. The staff spent a lot of time with her, helping her feel safe and supported through all the changes.
Our relationship transformed. We went from a home with no structure to one full of warmth, routine, and love. We rebuilt our bond from the ground up.
Life After Rehab
I left Harper House on August 18th. I still attend aftercare three days a week, and even four months on, it continues to help me stay grounded. I’m hoping to start volunteering soon, because I want to give something back.
I genuinely owe my life to Harper House.
While I was there, I also discovered something I never believed was possible: that I could learn. I used to think I couldn’t read or write properly. But during my time in rehab, I finished fifty books. I fell in love with reading. Now Gillian and I read together every single night, and we play games and connect in ways I never could before.
This Christmas will be my first in recovery. I’m excited, properly excited, to spend it with my mum, my dad, and Gillian. My parents have always been supportive, but now they’re proud too. Proud that I finally found the courage to ask for help.
My Message to Others
If I could say one thing to anyone struggling, it’s this: open up. Ask for help, it’s there, and it’s not something to be scared of. I used to fear social services, thinking they were only there to take my daughter away. But now I understand that they are there to work with families and services like Harper House, and to help keep families together.
Harper House didn’t just change my life, it gave me confidence, hope, and the tools to build a safe, loving home for Gillian. I want other families to know that help exists, that reaching out isn’t a weakness, and that change is truly possible.
