Update on today, Recovery and College

Turn your face towards the sun, and the shadows fall behind you

So today, busy day, I went first of all to The Recovery Partnership in Rugby to see Cathy and Paula my key worker for a check up as I came off the Antabuse 2 weeks ago.  I did receive a two week supply as a ‘break in case of emergency’ method, but as yet I have not needed to take one.  I have not had a drink and Im feeling good.  Still not giving myself praise but feeling positive that I'm now doing staying sober without the Antabuse.  We also discussed me enrolling on the upcoming self build course, although because of college this may have to be reviewed.  We also discussed and I believe it is something Paula is going to sort out for me, funding for a 6 month local gym membership so I can start going to the gym and working out some pent up energy or simply filling my time that I would of used to drink with by going to the gym.  One thing that did make me smile is that Cathy and Paula had been reading and sharing this blog and we spoke about me printing the Logo for this blog with the link written on and putting it up in the waiting room for other service users etc to see and be able to log onto and have a look.  Also I spoke to them about the Kickstarter project and I'm hoping there may be the chance to meet with the head of Recovery in Rugby to see what can be done within the charity and with other similar projects they are trying to get off the ground as well.  We also spoke about ‘The Recovery Walk 2015’ which is in Durham.  I really really would of loved to of took part in this on September 12th but I’ve found out too late about and Im skint and do not have the money to get up there and back from Rugby, so I'm going to have to wait until next years walk.

After Recovery I went to my local college induction day.  I went there to enrol onto GCSE English & Maths.  I got there and met the tutor who told me I had to do a screener on the computer to make sure I was at the right level to enrol onto the GCSE, I was not.  I was hugely disappointed as it was my aim to get straight onto the GCSE and how dumb must I be if I can’t get onto the GCSE?.  In fairness to the tutor he could see my grief and proceeded to explain that this wasn’t that surprising because at school I only got an E in maths and D in English and that was some 16 years ago and I have not done much since education wise.  The low score particularly in maths is not that disheartening because algebra wise like every day maths, i.e money and discount etc I'm fine, but where i struggle is stuff like X= Y x etc and Area questions and Matter questions.  The English score wasn’t too bad just below GCSE level.  The tutor then offered me the solution, a  lower level course for English and Maths which will work on any rustiness and problems and give me the grade and skills to enrol onto the GCSE’s next September, and then hopefully an access to high learning diploma a year later.  Meanwhile I will also be starting an introductory counselling course in January and hopefully enrolling onto the higher level of that next September as well.  Im now enrolled and start college the week of 14th September and I'm so excited about it, its fantastic.

Also today I’ve been toying around with an idea for the name of the social venue I'm looking to start and the logo, you will see attached the result.

For now take care and I will write more tomorrow.

-Hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of shattered dreams - S.A.Sachs