Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 4

We continue our series by looking further into the important components of recovery from substance misuse. There are many separate pieces that have to fit together to make sustained recovery possible and we look at some of those factors here.

Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 4

Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 3

In this installment we hear about some of the important components of recovery itself. What helps, what hinders and what the person in recovery can expect.

"Recovery from heroin addiction" - Part 3

Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 2

Part 2 of 'Wanting to change' in our series - 'Recovery from heroin addiction'. We know look further into the importance of the addict actually wanting to change their behaviour for themselves.

"Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 2"

Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 1

Following on from the 'Life as a heroin addict' series we know focus on recovery from such addiction. In this first part we look specifically how 'Wanting to change' affects the chances of sustaining long term recovery.

Recovery from heroin addiction - Part 1

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 9

In this installment we look at the correct practice surrounding methadone prescribing, including maintenance and reduction prescriptions. We hear what the people receiving this treatment would like to see happening and we also hear about an individuals experience of a controlled methadone detox.

"Life as a heroin addict - Part 9"

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 8

In this installment we hear about how addictive methadone is and how this affects the detox process. We also look at the problems faced when detoxing from methadone and the tendency to rush this process and the implications this can have.

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 8 

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 7

This installment continues to look at the role of methadone in an addicts life. Firstly a short clip on how the correct dose for an individual is reached and then we go on to hear about how having to pick up their methadone everyday affects the individual.

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 7 

Brian White talks about his recovery

"I wanted to do this film", says Brian, "to try to help others as I progress through my recovery. It was hard to do as I still feel embarrassed about my past, I'm so glad that I'm not like I used to be anymore! Even watching the film back for the first time today was a little strange, it only seems like 5 minutes ago that I was still using heroin".

"I've recently had my personal story published on Wired In's 'Our Community', and within a day had some amazing feedback by someone leaving a comment saying that they had gone through a similar time in their lives, and reading my story had inspired them to get help. That tells me that it doesn't matter if I find it hard to talk about my past on a website such as Wired In's, because it's helping other people. That's all the encouragement I need!" 

I hope you enjoy "Reflection on my journey into recovery". Please leave any comments or questions you might have.

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 6

In part 5 we start to look at methadone in more depth, beginning with a series of clips concentrating on how waiting to receive treatment affects the substance misuser. There will be another 3 clips to come in the following weeks that will also be looking at different aspects of methadone use.

'Life as a heroin addict' - Part 6

"Life as a heroin addict" - part 5

In part 5 of 'Life as a heroin addict' we look at the stigma in and around the drug scene and the drug addict. We also hear about the effect this has on the drug user, including low self-esteem and paranoia. 

"Life as a heroin addict" - Part 5

'Life as a heroin addict - Part 4'

We now start to look at the issues that can arise when an addict attempts to change their behaviour, including the things that help this process and also the things that hinder this process. The lads also talk about hitting 'rock-bottom' and the effect this has on their drug taking.

Life as a heroin addict - Part 4 

'Life as a heroin addict - Part 3'

In this section of film we are looking at the physical effects of heroin addiction, including the risks and effects of blood borne viruses. We also investigate the stigma surrounding such issues, and how that shapes the decisions made when contemplating seeking medical intervention.

'Life as a heroin addict' - Part 3

If you have a fast connection and would like to watch in a higher quality, use this link -

Higher quality version

'Life as a heroin addict - Part 2'

We now introduce part 2 of 'Life as a heroin addict'. This section focuses on the ways that heroin addiction impacts on all aspects of the users life - from health, family relations, accommodation, prison and many more. takes over all of the different areas of the addict's life. We will continue to hear from the individuals that we met in the introduction. 

'Life as a heroin addict - Part 2'

Higher quality version

'Life as a heroin addict' - You Tube launch

Last summer, Wired In grabbed the camera and went to speak to some service users about their experiences with addiction, treatment and recovery. We were blown away by the footage we got, and the enthusiasm that our ‘film stars’ demonstrated.

 

Initially we were a bit concerned with whether people would want to be filmed – but our concerns were certainly not met!!! In fact, at one point we had people queuing out the door wanting to get involved!!

 

Once the footage had been edited we met up with the service users again and showed them their film clips – their reactions were fantastic. Although some of the footage was hard for them to watch, they were all really pleased with what they had achieved. They were really excited to have the opportunity to educate others about addiction, treatment and recovery, and they hoped that others would learn from their experiences.

 

The amount of material that we got in just three days was astounding. We decided to cut the footage up into bite size sections covering the topics that the service users felt were the most important. Over the coming weeks we will be showing you this material.

 

This week, we start by introducing you to the service users. We will also be showing you a section where heroin use is discussed, in particular, the reasons that people start using heroin in the first place and then why that usage escalates into addiction.

So sit back and enjoy-

'Life as a heroin addict - Introduction'

'Life as a heroin addict - Part 1'

P.S. If you have a fast connection and would like to watch the film in a higher quality then use these links- 

'Life as a heroin addict - introduction' 

'Life as a heroin addict - Part 1' 

Mark's Story - YouTube launch

Today, we are launching the filmed Personal Story of Mark Saunders, which was also filmed and produced by Jonathan Kerr-Smith. During this 12 minute film (in 3 parts), Mark describes his descent into addiction, the impact that his drug use had on his life, and how he found recovery.

We are extremely proud to see how far Mark has come since the making of this first Wired In film in 2005. His confidence has increased in leaps and bounds, and he is a true inspiration to others that addiction can be overcome and people can go on to live a happy and meaningful life.

Mark continues to be a treasured member of the Wired In team. He thrives on helping others who are affected by substance use problems – his energy, enthusiasm and passion are a joy to see. Mark currently works for SMUG (Substance Misuse User Group) as their Caerphilly rep, where he engages with individuals and groups who are affected by addiction. He also works with local drug services, such as DRUGAID, to try and progress service user involvement. 

Introducing...Wired In films

Using the views and experiences of people whose lives have been affected by addiction, Wired In has produced a catalogue of film material which we will be showing through this Blog.

The feedback that we have received from the people who have been involved in our film projects has been exceptionally positive. Our ‘film stars’ have thrived from being able to share their stories to help other people who are battling with addiction. We always get so much pleasure from showing people their film material – it is amazing to see how happy they are with what they have achieved, and many have described getting a big boost to their self-esteem from being involved in our film projects.

The film material gives hope to others that recovery can be achieved, while also showing the real life side of addiction and the wide range of issues that so often come hand in hand with substance use problems. We hope that you will enjoy watching our film work whilst also learning about addiction and recovery form the true ‘experts’.

The first film that we would like to show you is the Personal Story of Kevin Manley. This 35 minute documentary, filmed and produced by our award winning filmmaker, Jonathan Kerr-Smith, chronicles Kevin’s battle with addiction and how he found his path to recovery. His mother, Kerry, also appears in the film talking about the impact of Kevin’s addiction on her and her family. This moving film is a true testament to how far Kevin has come since overcoming his various drug addictions, and we hope that others are able to learn from it and get hope that addiction can be overcome.

Due to the length of Kevin’s film, we have had to put it onto You Tube in sections. There is also a short version which is an overview of Kevin’s journey.