Sankalpa

Heya my name’s Lynne, here’s a bit on my journey to Sankalpa.  I’ve been dabbling since I was 13, smoking every day since I was 15 and started on a clinic at 17.  I’ve been to Cuan Dara twice, done day programmes, done Millennium Carving and always stayed on gear, failed them all.  Gear was always my drug of choice until I moved into a homeless unit and got strung out on crack.  Like everyone I’d a lot to deal with.  When I was 7 months pregnant my fella of 7 years, crashed his bike and died, my nanny and uncle died as well and I’d personal stuff to deal with.  4 years ago I had Abbie.  She gives me the strength to go on. 

After 8 years off dirty urines and no one saying anything, a new doctor started questioning my urines.  So I knew before social work got involved I’d get clean.  I couldn’t have lost Abbie as well.  So for the first time in years I started to give cleans, but not consistently. Eventually I got 3 months cleans and applied for Sankalpa. 

I started in September 2009.  I haven’t looked back since.  I get a lot of support from my keyworker, counsellor and the clients.  For the first time in years I’ve a structure and routine in my life.  I’ve to give 3 urines and the one in my clinic.  That’s what I needed and from the age of 13 I’ve benefited most from Sankalpa and feel good about myself.  So if you’re thinking of starting, make the move!  It will be worth it, if you put the effort in.  Good luck!

My name is Michael and I am a drug addict.  I started in Sankalpa in November 2008.  The name of the place was called Millennium Carving at that time.  Before I started here, a day for me would be getting up and getting dressed, quick wash and I was out the door looking to get a bag of coke and some heroin for coming down off the coke which was an everyday thing before I started here in Millennium.

A woman called Marie Kearns who used to live across the road from me introduced me to Millennium.  We sent in two application forms and I never heard anything back.  So I met Marie up in Wellmount Clinic and I tell her I heard nothing back from the course so she tells me to meet her at FAST the next morning and she would go over with me, so with the help of Marie I managed to get a start the following week.

They told me to come back the following week because there were still drugs in my urine.  So I stayed in for the week and got clean and since I started I have had 2 or 3 slips but I am glad to say that I never used a needle since I started and I never used heroin again for some reason, although it’s always on offer when walking around Finglas but it just doesn’t seem to interest me anymore.   The Millennium-carving course that I started has since changed its name to Sankalpa, which means positive thinking for 2010.

I really think this course has kept me off cocaine and heroin and I think the money doesn’t mean a great lot.   Either I give most of my money to my mother anyway (Community Employment Allowance) and I’ll help my brother’s son with money for horse feed for his horses and money if he wants to go anywhere like the pictures or aqua centre with his mates.   I’ll throw him the money because he’s just like a little brother to me.

So yes I can actually stand up and say I Michael Scally haven’t went near a needle or any hard drugs since I started this course so yes I am proud to be here and proud to use my name for anything related to the Sankalpa course which I enjoy getting up for and enjoy coming to.

My name is Damien Naughton.  I started taken soft drugs when I was 19.  I started smoking hash with some friends.  We did drink as well.  I happened to get a claim and started to get tablets call G.G’s and DF118’s.  I started taking them all the time then I heard of ‘’E’’.  At the time I thought they were the best thing since I was born and they made me feel like I was getting the love I never got at home, then I started taken NAPP’s.  I got addicted to them for 2 years and ended up in Peamount Hospital.  I was there for up to 3 months because they thought I had TB.  What happened was the tablets where getting caught in my lungs and so I was let out and had to go to Pearse St.  And within 6 months I was off everything.

Ten months later I was after moving to Drumcondra and there was a lot of temptation in my way, but I stayed drug-free for at least 9 years.  Then I caught my partner messing with gear and her sister lived in the flat under us.  I fell back into it again and ended up banging it out and got caught three times and got a 3 year bender.  After that I got on the Wellmount Clinic and after 3 years got a job as a security officer and after 3 years lost it.

I heard about Sankalpa.  I thought about it and I knew I had to be drug free, like no gear is to be in my urine so I started to get clean, then found out my girlfriend was taking crack behind my back, so it made me stronger, because the kids were taken off her, but I was not living there.  I joined Sankalpa because my doctor said it would be good for me.  It was hard at the start but meeting new people that had the same problems as I had.  I used to just stay in all the time and I was getting out, learning more, I was in much better form and it’s helping keeping me clean and my kids are proud of me. I know Sankalpa will support me in reducing my methadone.