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Personal Experiences

Positive about the future- Emma's story

19 May 2011

Emma is a 32 year old female from Aberdeen, Scotland who recently benefited from the freephone helpline.

“One month ago Simon Community opened the door to me when everyone else had closed theirs...

When I was a young child, my mum suffered from mental health problems and my dad worked away. During that time I was sexually abused. Because my mother was ill, I had to deal with the abuse on my own and try and take on a mothering role for my two brothers. When I was fifteen years old, my mum had recovered. But by that time I had developed clinical depression and had started to self harm.

 After I sat my exams, I left school and got a job as a life guard.  I started to drink and continued to self harm to cope with what was going on in my head. Around that time I was raped by someone who worked with me. My life became even more chaotic and I started taking heroin to cope.  Soon after I lost my job.

I moved to Edinburgh, came off drugs and enrolled on a Law Degree at Edinburgh University in an effort to sort my life out. But soon I was back on drugs. Despite this, I worked hard through university and managed to get myself a diploma .I moved back to Aberdeen when I was 25. However, I continued to take substances, struggling to cope with what had happened in my life.

My doctor warned me if I continued to take drugs I would die. I knew I had to get away from drug dealers, the wrong crowd and Aberdeen .I phoned my parents and said “It’s over, it’s all finished with- I promise.”  I knew then I had to prove myself.

I left Scotland for Northern Ireland, in search of fixing my life. I arrived on the 14th April. That was the last day I used drugs. I looked on the internet for organisations that could help people with no home and problems to cope with.

When I was honest about my drug use and my past, no one would take me in. Finally, I phoned the Simon Community freephone number in desperation.

The lady that picked up the phone was called Arlene. She listened to my story. She didn’t judge me.  Arlene told me Simon Community could help.

I have been placed in the Lisburn project and assigned a support worker.  I am also working with the community addiction team in Lisburn.

Simon Community didn’t judge me based on the labels that surrounded me. I really appreciate the second chance that I have been given. Its early days but I am very optimistic and positive about my future.

Someday I hope to work in child family law.”