Jack’s story: “Creating the life I deserved”
Jack still remembers the moment it became clear that alcohol was doing more than “taking the edge off”.
“I first realised addiction was affecting me when I went into alcohol withdrawal at home,” Jack says. “I started hearing things, then seeing things. I honestly thought I’d lost my mind. I didn’t think it had anything to do with alcohol.”
At hospital, the reality hit. Jack was physically dependent. “It got so bad that I couldn’t go without a drink for about half an hour before I started withdrawing.”
Reaching out for help felt terrifying. So did the idea of stepping away from everything familiar. But Jack knew they could not do it alone.
“When you’re at a point where you know for a fact you can’t stop drinking completely on your own, you come to a decision,” Jack says. “Even if you’re terrified, you have to do it.”
“it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The tools I picked up here have kept me sober ever since.”
Within days of arriving at Kenward Trust, something shifted. “In the first two days I was in group and it was great. It was amazing. It’s been about three years now, but it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The tools I picked up here have kept me sober ever since.”
Life at Kenward had structure and support, but it also brought something Jack had not expected. Space to breathe, and to rediscover parts of themself that addiction had pushed aside.
“We’re in the art hut,” Jack says. “I hadn’t picked up a pencil for years before I came here. Drawing took me out of my own head. It completely took my mind off it. It made things so much easier.”
Over time, the fear of change became a different kind of clarity. Going back to old environments would have been a step backwards, even if they felt comfortable.
“I got to my second month and realised going home would have been a step backwards,” Jack explains. “I knew I had to find my own way and stand on my own two feet.”
Kenward helped Jack take the next steps, including moving into a supported “move-on” project. “The staff were so supportive and helpful,” Jack says. “And it was affordable. People worry about the money side of it, but as someone who isn’t well-off, it was really affordable.”
From there, Jack worked towards independence. “I got my own flat. It was the first place that had ever been mine.”
The change is not just practical. It is personal.
“Before I came here, I was yellow from liver damage. I didn’t have any self-worth,” Jack says. “Now I’ve got my own flat. I learned to drive. I’ve got my own car. I’ve written a book, which is coming out in January, and it’s about addiction.”
“If you’d told me three years ago that I’d be where I am now, I would never have believed you,”
Jack is careful not to promise an easy journey. But the message is hopeful, and rooted in lived experience.
“If you’d told me three years ago that I’d be where I am now, I would never have believed you,” Jack says. “But it is one hundred per cent possible.”
For anyone living with addiction, or struggling with mental health, Jack’s advice is simple and direct.
“Hold on,” Jack says. “Things get better. And be as honest as you can with the people around you. It’s only through being honest that you can get help.”
Most of all, Jack wants people to know they are not alone.
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There always is,” Jack says. “And you’re not alone. There are thousands, probably millions of people out there in the same boat. Some of them get better and help people like you. That’s what Kenward did for me.”
Whether the next step is reaching out, accepting support, or simply getting through the day, Jack’s story is a reminder that change is possible.
“Trust in it. Be open. Be honest,” Jack says. “And always hold on.”
Words adapted from the transcript of Jack’s video story of change.