Persevering in recovery, seventy times seven
Jack is working to overcome his history of addiction and find freedom.
“I started smoking when I was 6. I was a full blown alcoholic by the time I was 10,” says Jack.
Jack is a well-spoken, smiling and loving single father of five in his 30s. He completed almost all of a ten-month ‘Bridge’ program at the Canberra Recovery Services and much of a Certificate III in aged care, then left. Months later he returned to the Salvation Army's Blue Mountains Recovery Services Centre Hadleigh Lodge, and completed the residential recovery program.
According to Major Scott Warrington who heads the Canberra Recovery Services Centre, while many complete the entire residential program and have lasting results, recovery for others can be a longer process. They may enter services a number of times to work to unravel a lifetime of pain, unhealthy beliefs and behavior.
Jack shares his complex childhood story and says: “I was hidden when my father got shot (in a bikie shootout).
“When I was six or seven, my sister-in-law (who had been stabbed) died in my arms …I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve been shot at (when I was a kid).”
Kidnapped at one stage by feuding family members, Jack says, “a lot of stuff happened... I wouldn’t say it was a very healthy environment –(chased) around the table with kitchen knives. Yeah, I just lived a rough life.
“When I was 10 years old, I was left in the Cross (Kings Cross, Sydney) to my own devices and basically made my own way through life.”
Jack says he ‘ran’ with older guys and petty crime and addiction became part of his life. And yet, against all the odds, with almost no education and homeless at the time, he finished years 10 and 11.
Today, he has completed rehabilitation, and is studying and undertaking work experience.
Major Warrington says that some clients may re-appear a number of times and, while they have to take personal responsibility, many have had a poor foundation to build on.
“Some people come in with similar backgrounds to Jack, where they’ve been abused their entire lives from childhood or babyhood,” he says.
“Some have mental illnesses; some of them have caused themselves massive damage through using drugs and some people have pre-existing illness such as fetal brain syndrome.”
Recovery Service Centres, such as the Canberra and Blue Mountains centres, offer the structured Bridge program, support groups, counselling and living skills, accredited and other education and work skills.
However, Major Warrington says after many years in the industry what he sees as also essential is pointing clients to God’s love, offering them a sense of dignity and persevering with them.
“I’m learning more and more that you need to persevere with people.
“You’ve got to accept where they’re at and then help them to move forward and not make judgements.
“I think it all intertwines around loving, honouring and respecting the individual. I think of the Biblical ‘seventy times seven’ forgiveness teaching, and know that God continues to persevere as many times as someone’s willing to come and ask for help.”
Comments
What an inspirational story, I too am in recovery and completed the William Booth programme in 98-99 at Selah Farm, it has taken me a long time to really understand the nature of this disease alcoholism. I have a small family now with 3 beautiful children and a partner, he too has this disease and is about to embark on his own journey of recovery, I am dropping him off to William Booth tomorrow morning. I pray he can find a life without drugs with the help of rehab and AA like what was shown to me through William Booth, it saved my life.