My name is Mark, and for a long time, heroin was my closest companion and my worst enemy. It started quietly, a way to numb the feeling that I wasn’t enough. Before I knew it, I was caught in a cycle I couldn’t escape. My life became a series of lies and deceptions, not just to my family, but to myself. I remember looking in the mirror and not recognising the person staring back. The shame was a physical weight.
The turning point wasn’t a single, dramatic moment. It was a collection of small, painful realisations. It was seeing the hope drain from my mum’s eyes every time I relapsed. It was losing a job I loved because I couldn’t be trusted. It was the quiet loneliness after everyone had gone to bed, when the high wore off and the reality of my situation crashed down on me.
Recovery has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s not a straight line. There were days I wanted to give up, days the cravings felt like a physical scream. But there were also small victories. The first time, I told the truth without flinching. The first week, I stayed clean. The first time I could look my brother in the eye and see a flicker of pride instead of disappointment. Those moments became my fuel. I started attending meetings, found a sponsor who understood the struggle, and slowly began to rebuild the bridges I had burned.
I’m still rebuilding, but today, I can look in the mirror and see a man I know. A man who is trying. That, for me, is everything.
Julie Rose
Hello Mark thank you so much for sharing your story, its always a very brave thing to do and you have obviously been through a tough journey, and you probably will continue to do so. Everything you said is the same thing I went through with my son Scott, I feel your struggle, and it brings back memories for me as a mother. I am So proud of you for getting to the place you are now! Keep going stay strong and good luck Mark all the best please stay in touch, its always so priceless to hear peoples triumphs and journeys thank you again
Julie Rose