“I took drugs through the night then went to work” 

Thirty-six-year-old Simon says he’s tried every substance going. For almost 20 years, the scaffolder from Coventry was caught up in the chaos of drugs, prison and poor mental health. But now, with support from Jericho House and Riverside, Simon is in full recovery and on the path to a new career.

I started drinking and smoking cannabis when I was 13. It was to escape what was going on at home. My dad was an alcoholic and he was abusive. When I was 16, I couldn’t take any more and I left home. I ended up sofa surfing, living with people who were selling drugs. By this point I was taking MDMA, cocaine and LSD.

Despite my growing drug habit, I managed to get work as a scaffolder and I’ve continued with that on and off over the years. I moved from job to job though, as I caused problems at work and didn’t always turn up.

Mum and dad split up when I was 18 and dad went to live in Spain. Six years later he took his own life and, even though I had a troubled relationship with him, I was devastated.

Time in prison

Like those around me, I got involved in crime to pay for my habit. I was 21 when I went to prison for the first time. I would come out and go back to my old lifestyle.

I met my girlfriend when I was a teenager and we went on to have four children. It was a toxic relationship. We argued all the time and I would come and go. I tried to stop using – I went to my GP, used local drug support services, and even moved away from the people I was hanging out with. But I always fell back into it.

Eventually, our children were put into care and then adopted. Back then, I didn’t know how to stop it. I went to court but I was angry and confrontational. Losing them has hammered me over the years. That, along with my dad’s death, fed into my addiction. I tried to escape everything by using.

In 2017, I came out of prison for the fourth time. I went to stay with my nan but things weren’t good. I used drugs through the night, then went to work. It was exhausting. Around this time, I began another relationship and we had a baby boy together.

I was desperate to get myself sorted so I joined NA in Coventry. I must’ve gone to more than 200 meetings but I was still using. My girlfriend couldn’t deal with me anymore so she left and took our one-year-old son with her. I locked myself in the house and did nothing but take drugs. Things got really dark mentally and, even though I’d had suicidal thoughts before, this time I was seriously contemplating ending my life.

Getting help

In utter desperation I reached out to people I knew from the NA meetings and begged for help. One of them suggested I ring Jericho House in Derby – a residential recovery service run by the Jericho Society. They put me on a waiting list and I rang them every day for five months, pleading with them to take me in.

One day, I got a call from them to say a bed was available. I broke down and cried. At last, I was going to get the help I needed. I got on the train to Derby the next day.

From day one, everyone at Jericho House showed me love. But treatment wasn’t easy. I followed the 12-step recovery programme and step four was all about delving into the past. All the things I’d tried to suppress bubbled to the surface. I had no choice but to open up and, as I did, I realised I had untreated childhood trauma. It was the root of all my problems. Exploring the past and all the feelings I’d bottled up over the years was so freeing. I also learnt to look at myself and take responsibility for my actions.

Seven months later, and still clean, I got a room in a supported housing scheme, run by Riverside. I carried on the good work – attending regular meetings with the Jericho team, going to the gym, playing football and I even enrolled on a college course.

I was able to do some volunteering at Jericho House, supporting people who were on the path I’d been on. And I got an NVQ Level 3 in Adult Social Care.

As I was doing so well, my ex-girlfriend agreed to let me see our son. So every two weeks I go down to Coventry to spend time with him.

Job as a support worker

I moved into my own place last year which was a big step. I can’t remember living on my own and not using. It gave me a new sense of freedom. Next, I needed a job. Using the experience I got volunteering, I took a job at a private rehab centre in Mansfield. And I thrived in the role.

I then heard about a job at a Riverside homeless unit, Centenary House in Derby. They were looking for people with lived experience to help support people with addiction and mental health problems. The role is part of Riverside’s GROW programme, designed to help people like me progress through work or training. I knew the job would be a challenge but I decided to go for it.

I’m now three months into a 12-month placement and, although it’s early days, I’m already finding it rewarding. It feels good to support others and it keeps me well. The residents know I was once like them. They see me in recovery and it helps them visualise it for themselves. They open up to me because we have that common ground.

Both of my brothers are also in recovery. They watched me get well and they’re now moving forward with their own lives. I see my mum now. I didn’t know where she lived when I went into treatment. I’m closer to my family than I’ve ever been and having a good relationship with them is important to me.

I’ve now been clean for three years and four months, and my life is so different. I don’t wake up in the morning wanting to die. I’ve got lots of friends I can turn to if I’m struggling – most of them are in recovery like me.

I cherish the time I have with my son, who’s now five. I took him on holiday to Cornwall recently, and what a fun time we had. He’s doing really well at school and I’m so proud of him. Being a good dad means everything to me.