John* is now 51. When he was younger, he had the world at his feet. He joined the armed forces in the mid 1990s and was a soldier serving in Northern Ireland in the troubles. He was highly respected and held responsible roles. But soon his life fell apart and he ended up living rough, even sleeping in an allotment shed.
When he left his regiment, after three and a half years, he had an exemplary military record. But, says his mum Marion*, “He found it very difficult to settle. His relationship with an ex girlfriend, with whom he has a son, was volatile and lasted a very short time. They parted and it became evident that John was on the road to self destruction. He definitely fell in with the wrong crowd at this time, his lifestyle was chaotic and I have no idea how he has survived.”
John was a conscientious worker and had job opportunities because of his military record but sadly they never lasted long because of his drug use, which continued to escalate until, says his mum, “He became unemployable.”
“He has lived rough on the streets, at one point living under an old abandoned van, and in an old shed on an allotment. He has been to lots of detox and rehabs, but was evicted from some rehabs for being found with or associating with drug users. We have had many battles within the family. It has destroyed his relationship with his siblings. It has separated us all from each other. It is very sad."
“Things are looking brighter”
Marion continued, “Since his involvement with The Whitechapel Centre, especially his keyworker, he has been so much more positive. He lives independently and appears to be engaging much more with life. I know he still has demons and issues. Mentally he has big problems and physically he has lots going on. But, since your interventions, things are looking brighter for him.
"John is reluctant to join in any groups or activities just now, he is very self conscious about how he looks, his appearance is so different to how he was in the past. The years of drug taking have taken their toll on him. I try to encourage him to do something with himself during the day, but I think his addiction, which I believe is still active, although not as bad as it was, is a huge barrier.
“I cannot thank you all enough. I am forever grateful for all that you do for everyone who uses your services.” * Names changed to protect identity
