"This place was the foundation of my recovery."

I came into rainbow house back in 2020 after I had been in the crisis centre for a few weeks, doing my detox. The crisis centre was the first time I had ever experienced safety. I remember thinking as the door shut behind me "I'm okay, I'm alright", which felt very different to the chaotic life I was experiencing outside. That feeling of safety thankfully continued when I came to CrossReach.

As I entered, I remember feeling totally broken. I was seriously underweight, my children had been removed from my care and I had 21 days to be removed from my house.

I knew I needed a hand with my issues and addiction. I had grown up in a family that was rife with addiction, and I didn't have a role model in my life.

"The compassion and empathy I received from the staff who genuinely wanted to help me, is something I've never experienced before."

When I first came in, I was chronically isolated and wanted to continue that way, keeping myself to myself but I think that was because my self-esteem was so low I couldn't look anyone else in the eye. A few weeks before I was due to leave, one of the workers led a group about family and relationships and this was the first time I felt I understood that what I was feeling was guilt and shame, I wasn't just (as I had previously thought) a scumbag or a bad person. It felt like a lightbulb moment where I understood I wasn't just in here to get off [the drugs] for a while, but to get off them for good and build a life for myself. I got stuck in with the work for my last few weeks here before going into the move on service.

This place was the foundation for my recovery. I had previously had short stints of attempting to get into recovery in the community, but they didn't work for me personally. I needed to be removed from my environment and from society.

I've since been back here as a volunteer for the last couple of years. This place and the staff team in here have given me a sense of belonging, a purpose and the structure and routine I desperately needed in my life. I've become employable again have all of these responsibilities I couldn't deal with before, and I could not have done that without being here.

I'm currently trying to find the balance of working part-time, keeping up with NA and volunteering here once a week.

I came in here and I didn't know anything about myself, who I was, and this place has made me believe in myself, the staff believed in me and on the days I struggled they were always there for me. I'll never forget coming back as a volunteer, seeing things from the other side and understanding just how much the staff care about the people in here.

CrossReach Residential Recovery Service (formerly Rainbow house) are based in the West End of Glasgow City, supporting people who are committed to living drug and alcohol free with personal recovery plans delivered by skilled and experienced recovery workers and volunteer peers.

For questions about referrals, funding or availability, phone: 0141 950 1772