(Name withheld)

After years of drug and alcohol addiction my child finally decided that help was needed. With help we found a Residential Rehab where he stayed for some six months. This was seven days a week, 24 hours per day and without them he would most definitely be dead.

We were fortunate that at that time they had a retreat in Nelson, this enabled him to be out of the city and away from the myriad of bad influences. After a month or so, which must have been a nightmare for the staff of the Residential Rehab he came back to the city and stayed at their other location in Sandringham. The staff were outstanding, not only to him, but to me and our extended family and support. He reached three months clean and needed to have some time away from the Residential Rehab.

Unfortunately, he lapsed and returned to the Residential Rehab. He worked hard, and the time eventually arrived when it was time to stand on his own two feet and return to a normal world, but he still needed support. This is when we came across Recovery Companions and as the name suggests they are a companion to the person newly in recovery. At the time the company was still developing and for me it was a bit of a gamble.

Now all I can say is thank goodness I took it – they have been amazing. In the first instance they were with him seven days a week 9am-5pm. During this time they helped him with day to day living – after being an addict for so many years he had forgotten how to buy good food, cook healthy food etc etc. Also making sure he got to appointments, of which there were, and still are many, particularly with health issues he has.

Without Recovery Companions he admits, and I am certain, that he would have begun using again. I can’t thank the team enough for their patience, tolerance and resilience.