‘I’ve never voted in my life, but I voted this year. You use to be able to go to detox or rehab somewhere out of Liverpool but that’s stopped now. 16 weeks wait for detox. That’s too long’.
Zeb was bullied at primary school because of his name. He still holds it against his parents that they chose that name and the hell it caused him. In secondary school he was the main dealer – it gave him status and got him the attention of girls. He liked the effect his taking and dealing drugs had on people.
Over the years, Zeb has had a few attempts to come off of drugs, but has relapsed each time. He now feels in his body that this is his last chance at recovery.
We visited Zeb twice this year. In July, Zeb had come off heroin, but was still struggling to get clean of other drugs. He felt it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his life. In November, we visited Zeb again. He had done a detox, moved into rehab, and has now been clean for 4 months. He is much more positive about the future.
Creativity is important to Zeb. He has a passion for music, and is determined to not sell his guitar like he has others in the past. He aspires to join a band at a drug free support centre. He is also proud of a play he wrote and thinks he’s got a skill in writing. In it, he talks about politics and his passions for equality and communist principles.
Zeb is unhappy with his rehab. He feels he is not given much choice about his care and is pushed to follow a one-size fits all path to recovery. Ideally, he would move into his own flat, and focus his energy on making music.
Now that he is clean, another challenge for Zeb is to re-connect with his family.
On our last visit, Zeb opened up about his father’s life.
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Insights that relate to Zeb’s story:
Coping with love, rejection & trauma
Unaddressed childhood trauma and rejection from a loved one, linked with a lack of support to cope with this trauma are often at the source of many of the issues people experience later in life. Access to therapeutic support is key.
For a more in-depth insight, read these stories and blog posts:
Lizz Zeb Natasha Tex Martin Karen Stuart Colin
Coping with love and rejection Society’s expectations of you shape you
Change: “the hardest thing you’ll have to do in your life.”
Acknowledging traumas and learning to be vulnerable are part of the recovery journey. It can be challenging to adapt to a “stable” life, especially when it means giving up on old relationships and environments, or when people then have to face universal services that don’t recognise how far they have come. We need to recognise that recovery is a journey, not just a step.
For a more in-depth insight, read these stories and blog posts:
Lizz Zeb Natasha Tex Martin Karen Lee Colin
Building a new me – Part 1 Building a new me – Part 2
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