March is Women’s History Month, and we have celebrated International Women’s Day once again!
This is a celebration to highlight the incredible work of women throughout history who fought for equality and an opportunity to continue this fight to #BreakTheBias that we still see in our society today.
At Kennedy Street, we want to do the same for women in recovery.
I had my first drink at about the age of 8, a Babycham taken from the fridge without my parents knowing, until the following day by finding the empty bottle in the bin. I remember the feeling of that alcohol to this day.
My childhood was an unstable mix of living with family and in foster care. I started to experience homelessness and social exclusion from my teen years and first went in to rehab in my mid-20s.
I have experienced long periods of sobriety, during which I would manage to build my life up. I got married and had kids, found full time employment and new career paths, and even bought a house. However, none of these things stopped me from starting to drink and use drugs again, and my life would come crashing down around me (again).
For many people who have begun to follow Kennedy Street’s journey, you may be someone who’s simply doing your supportive Facebook friend duty by ‘liking’ the page, but without any, or little, idea of what we’re about. For others, you’ll be aware of us and the work we’re doing. I hope our hard work will become clearer as the weeks and months go on, through hilarious, whimsical and thought provoking posts and updates (we’ll do our best).
The word “cheers”, the clinking of glasses, the swish of alcohol, the insipid smiles on faces in preparation for celebration is something I cannot connect with or relate to. I see no joy in using alcohol to ‘celebrate’ anything anymore. Far from it. Alcohol is a mind-altering substance, why would you actively change that natural high for the false, fake promises that alcohol delivers? It masks and disguises the beautiful, natural, heartfelt feelings we are so blessed to have without having to lift a finger. Living my whole life with addiction, initially through a loved one and then becoming a hopeless addict myself, after reading this, you may see why I have a cold shudder that runs through to my core every time I hear that word, “cheers”.
