Hamisse’s Story
"My life feels like it has some direction back to it, without the team here giving me support and helping to arrange rehab, I don’t know where I would be."
Around 30 years ago, there was mass violence and conflict in my home country. I had to get out as I really feared for my safety, and managed to move to the UK.
I ended up holding down multiple jobs, forklift driving at a factory in the day, and a cleaning job in the evenings. In total I was working 70 hours a week. I hardly took any breaks and I really think that began to chip away at my mental health.
At the time I lived in East Ham with my partner, although things started to unravel a couple of years into our relationship and we split up. I moved out and slept on my friend’s sofas. Despite them saying that I was welcome, I felt I was getting in the way of their lives and was an inconvenience to them.
When I heard that my Dad had passed away, it triggered something and brought up a lot of emotions that I had been hiding away. I miss my friends and family; a lot of them I don’t even know if they are alive today. I started drinking more.
I arrived at Your Place in September 2019. I was still working at the factory then, but I was made redundant during lockdown. I was devastated. I took a lot of pride in my job, and I miss working with my colleagues.
After losing my job, my drinking became a real problem, and I needed help. The team here were really supportive, and referred me to a doctor. It’s not been easy. I started to relapse and I remember my keyworker pulling me aside, explaining that I needed to go to rehab to get more help. At first I didn’t react well, but I was given some time to think about it. I eventually recognised this was the best option. My physical health was really starting to go downhill due to my drinking and I knew something had to change
My keyworker has given me so much. She is there for me when I am really struggling with my depression, and she gives me the reassurance I need. It means the world to me. The team have also helped me a lot with my CV and Universal Credit documents, and have taken the stress away from these things I know I need to deal with. I feel like I will be ready to go back into the working world, which I’m really looking forward to, once I get out of rehab.
Although I am feeling nervous about rehab, I know it’s the right thing for me. I am a fighter, and I never give up. I am now confident that I will overcome my addiction. My life feels like it has some direction back to it, and without the team here giving me support and helping to arrange rehab, I don’t know where I would be.
