Keeping Mum

I’m from Nottingham. I started drinking a lot and taking drugs when I was 14. My parents had issues. There was abuse and it was very difficult to deal with. I didn’t want to face a lot of things in my life and drink and drugs just blanked it out.

I left home at 17 and got involved in crime to fund the drink and drugs. I fell pregnant with my daughter when I was 30, but the relationship I was in was abusive and we both had our problems.

My daughter was taken away from me when she was five and that’s when my whole life fell apart. I went on heroin. I became homeless and was out on the streets until I got into a Framework hostel. Then I went into the

Priory for a detox on 14th December 2007 and I’ve been clean ever since.

Portland House - Caroline

When I came to Portland House it made me realise I needed to get back into real life. I was clean from the drugs but felt I needed more support. It was nerve-wracking at first but then I loved it. It gave me strength mentally and physically and it changed my life. The counselling and the staff were marvellous.

As time went on in Portland my family came to see me ‘cos we were allowed visits and I was grateful for that. It gave us time to build up and for me to get myself together. I was allowed to see my daughter on her 15th birthday, then I was allowed a weekend with her at the service and our relationship grew.

She came to live with me when I left Portland House. It was frightening when I left – facing the world – but I had support from the Church and Framework’s tenancy support team helped me to resettle. They help with things like paying your bills and sorting out benefits. Since then, I‘ve been really busy getting to know my daughter and I’m in touch with all my family again since leaving Portland.

There was a lot of heartache through me taking drugs but my family has put that behind them now. It’s great being a full time mum again.

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