Helensburgh man: drugs would have killed me but for charity help

James Kelly fell into a downward spiral after he found his cousin dead last September.

He has spent the last two months in a residential rehabilitation programme – and now admits that thanks to the help of its expert staff, he is now “in a much better place”.

James, 26, said he had been “in denial” about his long-term drug addiction before going to the Safe as Houses initiative two months ago.

Safe as Houses is part of the Alternatives project, a community drugs service which works with people struggling with addiction issues in the area covered by Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

After finding his cousin dead in September, 26-year-old James Kelly began a downward spiral which led to him trying to take his own life three times.

The Helensburgh man has spent the past two months in the Clydebank-based Safe as Houses initiative, run by Alternatives West Dunbartonshire.

The Safe as Houses initiative gives addicts a place to go, housing them in a facility in Clydebank for the early part of their recovery before giving them some independence as they move into one of a number of nearby ‘scatter flats’.

Janes said: “I was in denial that I had a problem.

“My family tried to help me, but I never accepted it.

“I would never talk about my feelings, and I’m still learning how to do that.”

He started using cocaine, before moving to “cheaper drugs”.

James had been to Alternatives a few times, but had never accepted the support they offered.

People enrolled in Safe as Houses attend four or five meetings a week, covering different topics.

Since working with Safe as Houses, James has been able to address his feelings, and deal with the traumas which he had experienced.

Each morning, staff at the centre will do a “feelings check”, in an effort to address any problems the services users are having, as well as encouraging them to open up.

His progress was clear in how he reacted to the recent death of a friend.

He said: “I went straight to the office and spoke to them about it.

“All the staff have been amazing with me, and I’m able to open up to them.

“I’ve never really spoken about my feelings and this is the first time that I’ve been able to.

“It broke me, it really did, but it was good to break. They got that out of me, and I really needed that.

“I thought I had no hope, nothing.

“If I hadn’t come here, I really think I would be dead by now.”

In just two months, James believes he “is in a much better place”.

He said: “I’ve still got a lot of work to do on myself, but I’m on a 12 step programme, and that can change people’s lives.”

Speaking to our sister paper, the Clydebank Post, last week, Alternatives general manager Donnie McGillvery said de-criminalisation may be the answer.

Mr McGillvery said: “I would certainly agree with the decriminalisation of drugs.

“We need to get back to seeing it as a medical and social issue.

“If it was just about stopping people from taking drugs, we wouldn’t be in the problem that we are in.

“People return to drugs through social isolation, low life chances, and because of traumatic experiences.”

The campaigner, who has 35 years of experience working with people struggling with addiction, also called on both governments who run Scotland to work together.

He said: “The Scottish Government and Westminster really need to stop looking at each other for faults and need to start working together to find a solution.”

The Helensburgh and Lomond area's MSP, Jackie Baillie, called on the Scottish Government to deem the epidemic a public health emergency

She said: “Drugs affect not only the individuals who use them but they have a wider impact on families, friends and the whole community.

“The Scottish Government should treat this as a public health emergency and must use every power available to them to tackle this crisis.

“Drug deaths are preventable and both our governments, in Scotland and the UK, must work together with experts and those living with substance misuse, to try to solve the problem.”

A UK government spokeswoman said Scotland is responsible for several policy areas which would be able to play a substantial part in halting the rise of drug deaths, including housing, healthcare, criminal justice and education, while the overarching legal framework remains at Westminster.

She said: “Tackling the scourge of drugs on individual lives and on our communities is a priority for us all.

“The causes of drug misuse are complex and need a range of policy responses and many of the powers to deal with drug dependency such as healthcare, housing and criminal justice are devolved in Scotland.

“Through our drug strategy, we are combatting the illicit drug trade with the National Crime Agency and Border Force working to prevent serious organised crime and importation across Scotland.

“We will continue to work with the Scottish Government to tackle this problem which claims so many lives.”