Don’t listen to the inner voice – you are worth it Stories of love, loss and hope
RONNIE Muir has helped others with alcohol and other addictions since he confronted his own problems.
“I am the eldest of four (now two) of your average dysfunctional family. My personal war was over many years ago and I have been in recovery ever since, mainly thanks to the many wonderful people who have been put in my path.
“My wonderful sister Julie was also an alcoholic but she didn’t make it – she committed suicide eight years ago.
“I am, however, blessed with the most amazing memories of her – she was the warmest, funniest, loudest, kindest soul who ever lived. You will meet so many addicts like Julie; kind and caring to everyone except maybe themselves.
“I also lost a brother to a heroin overdose last year and my youngest brother is still addicted to heroin. Sadly, he won’t give up yet but there is always hope.
“There are so many families like mine, as well as many with no history of addiction whatsoever – it doesn’t matter. It’s not a competition, nor do you need to have a genetic link to have an issue. If you are an addict, that’s just how it is – but it doesn’t have to define you. I am a human being first and an alcoholic second.
“I would say to anyone suffering – put out your hand and ask for help. I remember how frightening, or even impossible, that seemed. Just do it anyway. You have no idea how much support is out there.
“You are worth it – no matter what your inner voice is telling you. It’s OK to be afraid, unsure, lost, sad or stuck. But it’s so much better to be freee and to live the life you have the potential to have.
“And when you start to feel better, you can help the next poor soul out there – we are there for each other when we are well enough. It’s as simple as that.”
THEY are the drugs survivors who prove there can be hopeho even after the most harrowinghar lives. AddictAddicts’ stories reveal that in so many cases, there iis a link between drug aabuse and major traumtrauma in previous life. But a showcase of real-lifelif stories compiled by the ccharity Faces and VoicVoices of Recovery (FAVOR) shows people can turn their lives around when givegiven solutions that work fofor them. FAVFAVOR hopes its proproject – Stories of LLove, Loss and Hope – can help
FAVOR Anne project manager right, Ferguson, Marie with her own went public after being recovery story of the courage inspired by in the project. othershers involved so The loss of She said: “tion, discrimina the manyny lives, disregard of the thee stigma, misery, offends utterter human To of my being. thehe very core decision to made the thathat end I courageou s folks join these alongside them and stand my face, my willing to let seen my story be voice and and heard.” persuade both the Scottish and UK governments to make our drug deaths crisis a bigger priority.
The group’s leaders are furious that a document they painstakingly compiled with expert help - Working Together to Challenge Stigma to Save Lives - was ignored by the Scottish Government.
Ministers refused to even acknowledge receipt of its 23 key recommendations.
The brave stories told to MARK McGIVERN convey the impact of drug-related deaths contrasted with positive stories of recovery.