Drug and alcohol support in North West Glasgow

"WithYou saved my life"

Christopher's story

Christopher* grew up in Possil, an area that was once the hub of the Glasgow heroin trade. He started using drugs at school, starting with glue and gas, before progressing to heroin.

He says: “I would get up in the morning and look out the window, it was raining. That was an excuse to use. Then I would go down the street and someone would look at me the wrong way, just because they had nowhere else to look. And I’d think ‘what are they looking at?’ So, that was also an excuse.”

Over the years, Christopher got older, sicker and more demoralised. He was in and out of prison and, as his health continued to deteriorate, was sectioned three times.

He continues: “It demoralises you. If it doesn’t kill you with physical stuff, it gets you mentally. Your self-esteem totally goes. You just feel embarrassment, shame, guilt, remorse.” 

Christopher wanted to make a change, so he started attending groups run by WithYou.

He says: “I went one day, then two days… within three weeks I was there every day. WithYou saved my life.”

*His name has been changed 

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