Finding your voice and regaining control: Jeni

“That was the Friday, and I had an appointment by the Monday. I then had a worker, Karen, who signed me up for all sorts of groups and since then it's just been one good thing after another.

"When I first met Karen, she told me I was going to love it because my social life would skyrocket. Instead of meeting at my house, we would go places and do things together. She deliberately brought me in on a Monday, knowing fine well that ‘Arty Farty’, a crafting group, was on Mondays. She introduced me to loads of people."

How has WithYou helped your recovery journey?

“The biggest benefit of being in sobriety with other people is you see the path that they have chosen and the decisions that they have made, good and bad. It's not just all good all the time. When you go into a group and you realise that there are four or five other people who have been through the same thing as you have, and they survived it, it makes you realise that you can get through it.

“And the other thing is, Karen found my voice when I couldn't find it. And she spoke up for me when I didn't think anyone was listening. Having someone understand me in the way that she has, it's mind-blowing. And even though we have led very different lives, she's like the parent and the friend that I never had."

What is life like now?

“I'm still so early in recovery, but I’m active in the community and I want to help as much as possible. My future could go anywhere. It just depends on what I ask for and what help I need. Because there's always someone that knows something in this office, there's always someone that's able. If Karen doesn't know, she knows someone, and they'll know.”

Jeni, what’s your message to others who may be experiencing challenges?

“It might not be easy, but you can do it. The biggest difference Karen has made to my life is that she's been someone that, no matter how stupid it is, I can pick up the phone and I can say, ‘I need help’. That’s what WithYou are here for.”