Before I came to Gilead I’d been using a variety of drugs since the age of 14, culminating in an addiction to crack cocaine & methadone. At 19, my life flew out of control when my brother died. Recreational drug use escalated to alcoholism and harder drugs.

This affected every aspect of my life, especially relationships. My husband was a first time heroin user and he died of an overdose in 2007. My life turned upside down after that; my daughter was taken into custody with my parents. I just wanted to die.

Then I came to Gilead and things changed dramatically for me. I’ve been here 18 months now, and I have a really good relationship with my daughter and parents. When I came here I had never been responsible in my life and always and always got sacked in jobs for being unreliable. I couldn’t stick to one thing. Being at Gilead has taught me to be responsible and to be a valued member of a team, and if I don’t turn up to work, then it will let my team down.

The main thing that has helped me change was going through the Genesis Process with my counsellor. This made me learn all about my false beliefs – I used to think I was worthless and would never be good at anything - and it helped me see that what I believed about myself was false and destructive. This helped me break free of my addictions, and ultimately forming a relationship with God. I have learned He has a good plan for my life; with Him and the support and backing I have received at Gilead, I know I can be free and achieve my heart’s desires.