Mark Saunders

What Recovery Means To Me - Mark Saunders

noreply@blogger.com (volunteer community) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:43:00 +0000

The ‘What Recovery Means To Me’ series will kick off with the views of Wired In volunteer, Mark Saunders. Once you have read Marks views on recovery please take some time to look around his filmed and written work in Our Community. 

Feel free to comment or leave any questions you might have for Mark.

Filming my story

noreply@blogger.com (volunteer community) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:02:00 +0000

Filming my story with Wired In was the most enjoyable thing I've done with them so far! It was the first time I had done anything like this, and it was an amazing experience. Film work is definitely something I'd do again, given the chance.

It's been cut into three parts to fit on to YouTube easily. I hope you enjoy watching, and please let me know what you think.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Question & Answer sessions

noreply@blogger.com (volunteer community) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:40:00 +0000

These 'question and answer' sessions highlight a number of different areas to my addiction and recovery. They challenged me to assess myself from a new perspective, and I hope that they'll give those who read them a new view-point also.

There are three to look at -

Deciding to change

Methadone

Overdose

My personal story

noreply@blogger.com (volunteer community) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:36:00 +0000

One of the first things I did as a Wired In volunteer was to write my personal story. I found it quite challenging, as I had to look back over my life, the good and the bad, and write about it. But it was very rewarding as it helped me to put the past to rest and look to the future.

I hope you enjoy my personal story.

Introducing myself

noreply@blogger.com (volunteer community) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:15:00 +0000

I’m Mark and I’ve been working with Wired In for about two years now. My mother was an alcoholic and my dear Grandparents looked after me. Although they gave me lots of love, I was always attention seeking and looking for affirmation from others. I started experimenting with drugs in my early teens, looking for escapism from life and eventually found that dealing drugs gave me the drugs and attention I was looking for.

Years later, I found myself totally controlled by heroin. Eventually I ended up in prison where I was able to come off the drugs. When I was released I ended up relapsing and found myself in despair.

I met a great girl, Gemma, who has given me loads of support, and through a DTTO (Drug Testing and Treatment Order) I was given a methadone script. Since then, I have engaged with a number of services who have helped me to stabilise my life.

My life has changed dramatically. I am no longer controlled by my addiction. I am currently in the process of reducing off the methadone, although I am taking it nice and slowly so that I can remain stable.

My time is filled with volunteering in the substance misuse field. Alongside working with Wired In, I am also working with SMUG (Substance Misuse User Group) as their Caerphilly representative, where I work with individuals and groups who are affected by addiction. I also work with local drug services, such as DRUGAID, to try and progress service user involvement.