Before I came to Teen Challenge QLD (TCQ), I had been turned away from every rehab centre that I had approached. By the time I arrived at NLC my life was in tatters, I had a huge debt and wasn’t able to see my son.

When I drank with friends, they seemed to know how to stop, but I didn’t. I started taking ICE. I found it powerful and soon began taking it every day. My friends were concerned for me suggesting I take drugs on the weekend only.

When I was pregnant with my little boy, I stayed off drugs for nearly 15 months, but I had a weekend  away with friends for a break and relapsed.

Relapse was a destructive pattern in my life. My partner was concerned for our son and did most of the care; at one point, I lost the right to see him at all. That was hard.

Over my 12 month stay at the NLC I started praying to God, I had so many prayers answered I couldn’t deny God’s existence, my relationship with God developed.

My caseworker (Noelene), helped me work through so many of my hurts and deep issues. She started calling me Joy and told me “I am speaking into being what I long for in your life!’ I have learnt to face my pain without self-medication. I know I need support and wise people in my life. I go to them for guidance. I am learning more parenting skills, and once I have been free of relapse for 2 years, I will be able to have unsupervised visits with my little boy. I can’t wait. I am volunteering at NLC because I want to give back and I understand what the girls are going through. I am so grateful to my mum and dad and everyone who has stood by me. Thank you TCQ, I now know what real joy is.

*Name and image changed to protect privacy