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opendoor centre

Church Street

Exmouth

EX8 1PE

01395 224218

As required small relapse prevention groups meet to assist people who are working toward a life without chemical dependency.

Courses are run by trained staff, usually in small groups or one-to-one as needed. Both alcohol and drug issues are covered and the course provides an opportunity to develop personal skills to resist future use as well as investigating underlying causes.

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When Mark came to us, he was at the end of his resources. He was from the North of England but even though he had family in Exmouth, he had lost contact with them. He was addicted to drugs and was sleeping rough.

“I was on my way down the road from the hospital.” he says. “My clothes were like rags, my shoes had no soles and I felt really ill. I was about to end it all.” But instead he came to the Centre on a Sunday morning when a local church was meeting there and was serving pasty and beans at lunch time to anyone who needed it. Mark is sure that simple act saved his life because it provided a link with the opendoor centre. We had the chance to talk with him, listen to his story, and help him find a way forward.

We introduced him to Ovis Farm, on the edge of Exmoor, where the combination of care, tough love and the Christian message has made a huge difference to his life. After successfully completing their rehab programme, Mark moved on to live in their ‘half way house’. After a few months, he was invited back to Ovis as part of the team and it wasn’t long before he was given responsibility for running the house. Now, a couple of years later, he’s moving on again – this time to Africa with a Christian charity to work for a year with dispossessed families.

When his sister heard him tell his story recently she said through her tears, “For two years we thought Mark was dead. When we got the call from Ovis to say he was alive and doing well, it was unbelievable! And to see him now, it’s not just the old Mark back again; he’s so much more positive and confident. I’m thrilled at the change and can’t thank opendoor enough.”

 

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Graham (not his real name) has been drinking since he was 14. Family traumas in his childhood continued to haunt him despite having a family of his own and a successful business.

As a result of his drinking, Graham eventually became an alcoholic rough sleeper, and he lost his family and his business. He also suffered some serious damage to his health.

Twenty or more years later, he began to face reality. “It wasn’t easy to go for help,” he confided,” but I had to accept I couldn’t handle it on my own. The people at opendoor accepted me as I was, they didn’t ask me loads of embarrassing questions, but stood by me as I tried to sort myself out. They gave me support and helped me believe in myself again.”

Graham has had his problems along the way and has found controlling his drinking extremely difficult. He has twice found himself in hospital at death’s door. “The Centre hasn’t given up on me,” Graham says. “I still have to fight my addiction but I know there are people I can rely on. The relapse prevention strategy we’re working through is really good and it gives me hope that things can change for me.”