For over 17 years of my life I was a hopeless and helpless addict. I was the typical Junkie on the streets. My name is Neil and at the age of 31 ,I can honestly and proudly claim I am a recovering addict. Each and every miserable day of my using life I wanted to make that claim, and so I feel proud and blessed to be able to make this claim today. I owe this privilege to Jericho House. They managed to achieve something I, nor anyone else could ever achieve and it fills me awe each time I reflect on my life today. Before I came to Jericho House I was reduced to living like an animal. I had lost the ability to live like a normal human being, and as my drug use got worse, I deteriorated rapidly. Both mentally and physically. I looked like a corpse and I felt like one. I hated my life, I hated my self and I hated everyone on the planet.

My only companions were my dog and my drugs. My dog loved me unconditionally, and my drugs stopped me feeling. The misery of my life became my comfort zone. I only ever left my flat to go buy drugs or to steal the money buy them. I cried in despair hundreds of times at what I had become, at what my drug addiction had done to me and to my family. I desperately wanted to get away from this life and I tried various times to stop and I found I couldn’t and that made me feel worse so I took more and more drugs to anaesthetise that horrible feeling and so the cycle continued. Every day misery, drugs, sleep,…misery,drugs,sleep…. Every single day.

In desperation one night I found myself at a narcotics anonymous meeting in my home town of Wolverhampton. I started speaking with someone there who told me about Jericho House, and how they helped him get his recovery. I phoned the next morning and was offered an assessment. When I attended I found the staff to be very understanding and compassionate and down to earth. I was surprised that they could actually empathise with me. I’d never come across that before from anyone. I couldn’t believe it when I heard that the staff team were themselves addicts in recovery. At last I found somewhere where I could comfortable and safe.

I genuinely believe picking the phone to Jericho House was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. When I was given a bed there I felt a massive weight had been lifted. The staff there are fantastic. For the first time in a long time I was able to trust someone. Someone who understood me and knew exactly what I was going through, Jericho House helped me find the exact nature of my addiction and they gave me a solution which to this day is actually working. I’ve been clean for over 6 months where before I couldn’t manage 6 hours.

I will be leaving Jericho House shortly and I will be accessing their extensive after care program and I’ll be using they’re ongoing support. I feel like a normal member of society now and I can look forward to a bright future where I eventually go back to work as a result of the education qualifications I’ve gained while I was in Jericho House. Jericho House is a special place, I’m the proof of that and the happiest period of my life was while I was in Jericho House and I would recommend the place to anyone who needs help with their addiction.