I joined a call with Sarah, who has recently completed treatment Phoenix Futures’ Scottish residential service.
She begins by explaining how her experience with alcohol and substance use started at just ten years old. Her childhood was marked by upheaval, the breakdown of her parents’ marriage, caring responsibilities for her siblings, and peer groups that exposed her to harmful situations. By the time she reached her teenage years, substances had become a way of coping long before she finished school.
In her early twenties, Sarah entered a violent marriage. She eventually escaped with her first child, but the pattern continued when she became involved with another abusive partner, with whom she had her second child. Although that relationship lasted 26 years, it fuelled her continued reliance on alcohol and other substances as a way of enduring the trauma she was living through.
Sarah was regularly admitted to hospital and speaks openly about the stigma she felt she experienced in healthcare settings. She often sensed that staff were frustrated to see her return and felt she was being judged rather than understood. At one point, while in a mental health unit, she recalls being prescribed medication that felt more focused on managing behaviour than exploring the root causes of her pain.
When her husband died, Sarah describes feeling like she had nothing left. She became estranged from her children, family, and friends, something she now recognises as part of the wider impact of trauma and substance use. After receiving diagnoses for significant physical and mental health difficulties, including periods of suicidal ideation, she realised that entering rehab was the only way she would be able to stay alive.
After a short stay in hospital, she entered an open rehab centre. With support from her key worker, she later found Phoenix Futures’ Scottish residential service. She spoke honestly about the persistence it took to access treatment, cancelled appointments, assessment requirements, and questions around detox pathways, but her determination was unwavering.
After several calls and a couple of weeks, Sarah was accepted into Phoenix Futures’ Scottish residential service. Despite her feelings of anxiety about meeting new people and being in an unfamiliar place, she fully embraced the community and the structure of residential life.
During her time at Phoenix Futures, she completed a 12-week personal development programme, volunteered abroad with STAND International, connected with others through recovery cafés, sailed as part of their ‘Voyage of recovery programme’, and took part in a wide range of ‘Recovery through nature’ activities.
As she put it, “Recovery has to be fun - what’s the point otherwise?”
Sarah’s confidence has grown enormously, and she is now 19 months into her recovery.
Throughout everything, she credits her sister for standing by her, and she has rebuilt relationships with most of her family and friends. She speaks with real optimism about her future, planning to travel, reconnecting with loved ones, and building a life that reflects her values and aspirations.
When asked what she wants professionals and the wider community to understand about people affected by drug or alcohol use, Sarah is clear: there needs to be far more awareness and compassion.
“No one chooses this. People need to see the person, we don’t just wake up one day and decide to use substances. There needs to be more education around this, starting in schools.”
I end the call by asking Sarah what advice she would give to others considering rehab or already on their recovery journey. She leaves me with this message:
“There is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going. It does get better. It’s hard work, every day, for the rest of your life. But you can have an amazing life.”
*Sarah’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
