Emma's substance use

Over the years, her substance use changed, and in the last five years alcohol and cocaine became the biggest issues in her life.

She describes her early life as deeply difficult and says her substance use was rooted in traumatic childhood circumstances which left her with a long-lasting sense of not fitting in. For a long time, she was trying to mask pain rather than deal with it.

Emma had periods of recovery over the years and first accessed support as a teenager, when a heroin treatment service helped her through detox. Later, as an adult, she returned to treatment and began to understand that recovery was about more than stopping substance use - it meant facing the reasons behind her addiction.

“If you don’t get to the core of why you’re using substances, you’re not able to move forward the way you want to. You keep repeating the same pattern.”

Health scare was the turning point

Although Emma had worked for many years and often appeared to be coping, she says she was living as a functioning addict for a long time. By 2018, her alcohol use had become unmanageable, and when she tried not to drink she experienced severe withdrawal symptoms.

Emma progressed from drinking up to two boxes of wine a day to a litre and a half of vodka, each day, and spending huge amounts on cocaine. The impact on her physical health became impossible to ignore, and after repeated detoxes she eventually ended up in hospital with dangerously serious complications.

That health scare became a major turning point. Emma says she was told that if things continued the way they were, the consequences would be fatal.

Treatment and recovery

Emma completed multiple detoxes, including support through New Beginnings, Aspire’s specialist detoxification service and structured day programme in Doncaster, which offers medically managed detox and therapeutic recovery support. She describes the detox process as frightening, but also as an important first step.

“The staff were amazing and so was the day programme.”

In 2024, Emma also went through cancer treatment, including a radical hysterectomy and sudden menopause, which placed huge pressure on her recovery. She had made the decision to go to rehab in Oxford, where she began to look more clearly at the impact of unhealthy relationships, family trauma and long-standing patterns in her life.

Emma says rehab helped her recognise warning signs she had never fully understood before in her relationships. It also helped her accept that protecting her mental health sometimes meant stepping away from harmful relationships, even when that was painful.

A transformation

Now Emma is at a point where she has faced her trauma more honestly, worked through the deeper causes of her substance use and made a conscious decision to stop repeating the same cycle.

She now uses healthy strategies to manage stress and protect her wellbeing, including guided meditation, yoga and peer support. She has also found clarity through understanding more about her mental health and neurodiversity, which has helped her make better sense of her experiences.

Emma explains, “I facilitate a live, guided meditation session with the support of a fellow volunteer at Sober Social, and we alternate every four weeks. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how relaxed people feel afterward, especially as those in recovery often struggle with intense emotions. These sessions help ground participants and support them in working through their feelings, allowing them to better understand and manage them.”

The recovery community now plays a huge role in her life. Project 6 is a harm-reduction and recovery-focused charity supporting people across Yorkshire, and Emma says being part of that community has given her connection, encouragement and a sense of belonging.

“The Recovery Community has become my family.”

Looking ahead

Emma is now focused on building a future she can be proud of. She volunteers at Sober Social at Project 6, co-facilitates a walking group, plans to shadow with Aspire New Beginnings, and hopes to become a Recovery Worker in the future.

With Generis she has already completed qualifications including Level 2 Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Level 2 Personal Development Skills, Level 2 Confidentiality and Awareness, and an Introduction to Mentoring. She is also planning to continue studying, with English and maths among her next goals.

For Emma, recovery is no longer just about stopping alcohol or drugs. It is about creating a healthier life, being present for her children and granddaughter, and using her lived experience to help others who feel trapped in addiction.

“I want to help people who are struggling. I know what it’s like to try to get out of the cycle and it’s so scary.”

Her message to anyone who is struggling is simple:

“Just reach out, you’re not alone.”

The Alcohol and Drug Service supports people affected by substance use with advice, treatment and psychosocial support, while Aspire in Doncaster provides integrated drug and alcohol services through a partnership with ADS and RDaSH.

To get help for your own substance misuse problem, please call us on the following numbers:

Aspire New Beginnings in Doncaster - 01302 571240

Aspire Drug and Alcohol Services in Doncaster - 01302 730956

The Alcohol and Drug Service Hull and the East Riding - 01482 320606.