My name is Jon, and I am the Marketing and Communications Lead at Change Grow Live in Stockton.
My recovery journey started way back in 2013 when signs of extreme substance use started to surface. I was based in London then, working in the music industry as a publicist. The job entailed a lot of late nights and somewhere along the way, I started to dabble with cocaine and other substances. I addressed the situation but was ill-prepared for what I needed to recover.
Fast forward to 2018, and I was a living wreck. I was using every single day, and my body was falling to pieces – inside and out. I decided to do something completely drastic and walked out of the job. On reflection, this was a bold and reckless move at the time but one that would fundamentally start me on the right path.
I decided to move back up north and take some time to myself. The plan was to set up independently and run a manageable business with little stress. Unfortunately, Covid was right around the corner, and starting a business proved difficult. These challenges led to further substance use, which resulted in severe mental and physical health issues.
I ended up drinking and using cocaine every single day as I just wanted to avoid the world. I was waking up every single morning with the shakes, needing an alcohol fix at 7.00 am, without fail.
The police found me passed out on a roundabout and referred me to my doctor.
My doctor referred me to Change Grow Live, where I initially had a month of phone conversations with my key worker, due to Covid restrictions within the service. I was then referred to Recovery Connections. I started attending SMART GROUPS. The groups worked for a while; however, I unfortunately lapsed a few times. It was recommended that I start one-on-one meetings, which got me back on track.
After 6 months of abstinence, I was invited to attend the Ambassadors course, which is a 12-week program that teaches you about recovery, safeguarding, boundaries, and several key principles linked to recovery services
The course reestablished a sense of worth in me and made me feel proud of what I had already achieved, a further yet, what I could begin to achieve if I applied myself. For years I would sit awake in bed thinking I had nothing else to offer, but the course gave me options. Each week I grew more and more confident in my abilities to potentially work within the recovery sector. And more importantly, I wanted to!
I recommend doing the course if you are serious about sustaining abstinence and if you are thinking about a career change or first-time employment.
I graduated from the Ambassadors course in February 2024 and met with the Stockton service manager to discuss potential opportunities within Change Grow Live. I applied for the Marketing role a few months later and got the job!
Three years to the day, after walking into the services completely broken and lost, I took on the role of Marketing Lead. This is credit to the good people at Change Grow Live and Recovery Connections for making me believe in myself again. It was also down to my self-determination to change and improve myself. Something that had been lacking for years.
Attending the Ambassadors course was inspirational. 3 of the 5 Stockton volunteers ended up in full-time employment within 6 months.
My life has structure and purpose today, and I am very proud of my recovery. I learnt how to forgive and love myself, and for that, I will be eternally grateful to Change Grow Live and Recovery Connections.