POLOKWANE – People within the depths of their addiction often think it is impossible to get clean, but there are many success stories.
One such success is *Wendy (not her real name). She overcame her five year addiction to drugs through the help of support groups and hopes to inspire other addicts to follow in her steps by sharing her story with Review.
She explained that her addiction started in high school after she started smoking dagga to fit in with the crowd. ” I was encouraged by friends to start smoking just for the fun of it and at the time I did not feel like an addict or believe that I could get addicted. This addiction progressed and years later I started drinking heavily and using hard core drugs like cocaine and khat,” she says.
*Wendy managed to ‘kick her habit’ through the help of a friend and former addict, who recognised her addiction and accompanied her to the relevant support group. She has been clean for several years and is a firm believer that any addict can break free from their addiction through professional help.
“The support group saved my life and that is why I am a big fan of encouraging addicts to seek help from these avenues of support. Talking to people who understand what you are going through because they are there or have gone through the same thing means so much. I managed to break free. Attend just one meeting to see what it is all about and you too can break free,” she adds.
*Wendy answered a few questions about her recovery process and the challenges she faces on a daily basis.
Sanca Polokwane offers a special support group for people with alcohol and substance dependency every Thursday at 18:00 at their office at 33 Church Street.
For more information contact the Sanca office on 015 295 3700 or send an email to amanda@fnda.co.za.
