Finding Healing in Community 

I first came to DCM about 25 years ago with some mates. Back then, I was working at a tattoo shop, and I remember thinking, “this isn’t for me. I don’t need this place”. But that day stayed with me. Seeing so many people in need was humbling, and I never forgot it.

A couple of years ago, I was in a bad place, and I ended up back at DCM. My personal journey has been complicated: struggles with addiction, rehab, and spending a long time in jail. For most of my life, I wouldn’t admit that I was one of the people who needed help. Only in the last three years have I been able to face it.

I use a lot of DCM’s services, like Te Hāpai (a safe community space) and Te Awatea (harm reduction group) and have had healthcare too. There is no script to what happens here; everything is personal to you on the day. Some days you feel like a king; other days you feel like everything is wrong. But the people here embrace you, don’t judge you, and help you with what you need, whether it’s big or small.

"I know that even when I come here and am having a bad day, the DCM staff will still be there for me. I have been to a lot of other places in the past where I didn’t have that."

Everything got worse for me when I lost my daughter to suicide, and my mum passed away too. It’s impossible to explain what that feels like to someone who hasn’t experienced the death of a child. After my daughter died, I fell much deeper into addiction and it has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with. It felt like I was in a black hole and I was gone for years.

DCM has helped me and nurtured me to the point where I can sit in the Men's Group (Cool and Calm) and tell the others that I’ve changed my ways. It’s taken years for me to get to this point. I think Theo, (AOD counsellor at DCM), touches people, and their lives change because of it. I love these groups because we hold each other accountable as we walk and talk this journey together. For people that are in recovery, even if it’s been years, it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of.

I’m 50 years old and I am just now learning all these things about myself! I have learned to accept the things I can't change, like how people see my tattoos and assume I’m threatening before I even speak. I’ve had to learn how to grieve, communicate, and face things about the way I have lived my life. My journey to sobriety isn’t over, but I know it's something I have to do. I’ve messed up a few times in the last sixteen months, but I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and coming back.

My goal is to get healthy, save money, and make plans to go back to the East Coast. That’s my home, but I know I will need to help to get there. For the moment, I’m staying connected to the people at DCM. I do worry about things sometimes, but my mother used to say, “How can you get it wrong if it feels like you’re doing the right thing?”

I appreciate everything that DCM has done for me. If I ever won the lottery, I would be here the next day with a donation! But for now, I come by DCM at night and clean up the courtyard when no one’s around. It’s everyone’s space, and that’s how I feel like I’m giving back. It’s part of my routine now, and I’m proud of it.

"I know that everyone here walks by my side, not in front of me or behind me and that keeps me grounded, even when things are hard."

I never would have believed a place like this existed, until I came and became a part of it myself. I think the people at DCM are beautiful and don’t get praised enough - they are changing lives and helping people every day.