Sean, 17
I am a 17 years old male and these are my thoughts and views on Aislinn and its effects on my life and the life of my loved ones.
When I came to Aislinn, I came from chemical dependency and nothing else. As soon as I walked through the doors I was treated with respect and dignity, both of which I had worn out when I was living at home. I found the people here were kind and caring and they made sure I gave them the same respect they gave me.
As soon as I sat in my first group therapy session I realised I had a lot in common with the stories that were being shared. But there was one thing I did not have in common with them. They realised how much they had destroyed their family’s lives and they cared about that. I was watching how they were able to talk about any problems they had, no matter how big or small. They usually felt better afterwards no matter how bad it made them feel to tell other people of their wrongs. They listened to the group share that they found wrong with their behaviour and attitudes. In all of that we knew it was confidential.
Slowly something happened, I started opening up, caring about the people I hurt and trying to help others around me. I started to care about myself and made sure my actions were right in the eyes of others, instead of my own. Bit by bit, day by day, I started to become a better person. I realised that I came to Aislinn from chemical dependency and because someone wanted to save my life. Aislinn did both these things – it got me chemically clean and saved by life. It cleared by mind and made me a better person, no matter how much I denied it when I first came.
I’ve returned to college and I’m doing well and looking forward to the future thanks to Aislinn.