Maria has struggled with her mental health for as long as she can remember. Since being in prison, she had been smoking spice and was lying to her family for money so she could buy it from other people on the wing.
“I didn’t care about myself, let alone anyone else. I just wanted to get rid of my feelings and bad memories, but the drugs just made it worse.”
Whilst in prison, Maria was approached by team members from The Forward Trust.
They invited Maria to attend Forward’s Bridge Programme, and she agreed, so was moved to another wing to begin the programme. She stopped taking drugs and began to take her recovery journey seriously. Maria found the change really difficult at first, but thanks to her hard work, she successfully completed the programme.
“Since completing the programme, I have learnt a lot about myself. My family wants to know me again, I’m sober and feeling so much better. I see where I went wrong and don’t want to go through that again.
“I now have the tools to move forward with my life and help others with their problems, which also helps my recovery. I’m a Peer Supporter, and I like to be of service to others who need help. After all, I have been there myself.”
