In the new series "How are you doing now" we talk to former patients about the period they started treatment at Castle Craig. They tell about their experiences and how things are going now. The names have been changed, but their stories are real.
Mark (30) in 2016
Mark: 'I remember wanting to be friends with everyone in the first week of my stay in Scotland. In the beginning that worked people please pretty nice. I connected with everyone, but at some point it started to work against me. In the support groups, I was well informed by fellow clients.
I was told that I mainly wanted to be liked and that this was an integral part of my problem. "The only reason you want everyone to like you," said a fellow one day, "is that you don't like yourself." I remember cooking inwardly and cynically asking if he might be a therapist.
Mark (34) in 2020
Mark: 'The fact that I reacted so wronged at the time meant that he had touched something in me that was actually very true. I've been looking for confirmation all my life. And by playing the tapped boy, I was able to mask that uncertainty and actually feed it. With attention and with drugs and alcohol.
At the moment I have been clean & sober for four years and I feel happy. Mostly happy with myself. That confirmation from others is no longer what I do it for. And because of that, I also take good care of myself. At Castle Craig I learned perhaps the most important lesson in life. Namely that happiness has nothing to do with the world around you, but with the world within yourself. '
Take the first step towards recovery
Do you recognize yourself or someone else in Mark's story? Then it is important to know that you can ask for help. You do detox for yourself, but you don't have to do it alone. For more information about what Castle Craig can do for this, call 088 - 770 70 77 or fill in the contact form at the bottom of the page.