Turning Point In Oldham Has Helped Over 5,000 People To Recover From Drug And Alcohol Use

Turning Point's Rochdale and Oldham Active Recovery (ROAR) drug and alcohol service is helping thousands of people tackle drug and alcohol use.

A key part of the service sees people who have previously used the service now working as peer mentors to support others in their recovery journey.

Based in the heart of the town centre, people are educated about the risk around substance use and are helped to overcome addiction.

Carl Dodman came through recovery at Oldham and now works as a peer mentor.

Carl started using drugs at the age of 12. He began by sniffing nail varnish and gas. At that age he felt like it was ‘normal’.

As he got older, he ended up using a lot more.

“I didn’t feel like I had a problem even though I was stealing from my kids. I was doing a lot of horrible things so I could provide for drugs,” he said.

For a number of years, he would wake up thinking of ending his life. The drugs worked temporarily. He didn’t want to take his life till the drugs stopped having an effect.

“One day I finished work and sat in a bush and tried to commit suicide. Luckily, I spoke to one of my good friends on the phone and told him where I was. My friend took me to the hospital. He told me about Turning Point so I thought I would give it a go,” Carl said.

“I started to come to Turning Point which was helpful. Initially, I did it to please my family. It wasn’t until I started engaging that I realised it was possible for me to overcome my addiction.”

He said at Turning Point there were a lot of people who had been in his situation but were now on the other side and had been drug free for many years. He’d previously never met anyone who got out of the ‘vicious cycle’. It was an eye-opener and he started to believe in himself.

“I started coming to groups and seeing my keyworker, and we came up with a plan to go to rehab. It was really hard as I didn’t want to leave my family, but I managed to push myself.

“I eventually got out of rehab, and I came back to Turning Point. The aftercare they provided was massive. I couldn’t have done it without them. I managed to meet people who were on the same journey. We became good friends.

“I was then approached and asked if I wanted to do the peer mentor course.”

Now, as a peer support worker, Carl comes to Turning Point twice a week. He advises people on things like rehabilitation, the pathways that are available to them and general things that might be impacting their lives. He believes with his life experiences he can make people’s lives a bit better.

Recovery Communities and Peer Mentor Manager Leigh Engelbrecht said:

“Day-to-day my role involves a variety of responsibilities, including supporting our peer mentors to ensure that they are equipped to work effectively within the hub and provide the best possible support to our service users.  

“I also work closely with our recovery workers who deliver therapeutic workshops and offer one-to-one support to people accessing treatment services across Oldham.

“Recovery means different things to different people but generally, it involves someone working towards overcoming issues with drugs or alcohol and building a healthier more fulfilling life. 

“When people come into our services for the first time one of the first questions we ask is ‘what do you want from our service?’ We listen carefully to their goals and aspirations and then do everything we can to support them in achieving those outcomes.”

Zac Blinston, Recovery Communities Development Worker added:

“Turning Point offers a range of services. When a client comes and asks for support, we do an assessment and use it as a gauge of where they will go in our service.

“We have many different teams that might work with groups who might need specific support. Examples include our opiate and alcohol teams; we also have a team that works specifically with the homeless and another that works with women only. We are here to support all individuals, whatever their need is."

Carl is one of over twenty ex-service users from Oldham and Rochdale who are giving back in their role as peer mentors. With their invaluable lived experience and passion for recovery, they guide and inspire many people.

If you are suffering in silence, contact Turning Point on 0300 5550 234