The power of real life stories
People with substance misuse problems or criminal convictions can face prejudice and barriers to getting back into mainstream society, finding employment and rebuilding their lives. Enabling people with past experience tell their stories is one way of helping to overcome the stigma associated with substance misuse and give a human face to difficult issues. That is why the podcast series ‘Being the Story’ resonated so strongly with our team. This compelling series of podcasts enables people with lived experience of a range of traumatic events tell their personal stories and share their paths to recovery and new beginnings. Sharing these stories raises awareness of the complexities of real lives and gives hope to people facing similar challenges.
Authentic accounts of addiction recovery
One contributor, Milly Chowles, speaks powerfully about her experiences of substance misuse and her journey to recovery. She describes her path to a new career as a radio journalist and realisation that her past experience enabled her to present other people’s stories in a compelling and insightful way. Milly now uses her life experience to give a voice to people whose stories are rarely heard. In ‘Second Chances’ on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’, she explores the barriers to substance misuse treatment for women with children. Her series ‘The Fix: Women and Addiction’, also for ‘Woman’s Hour’, tells more fascinating stories about women seeking treatment for a range of addictions.
Milly Chowles understands the fear associated with speaking out about past experience and how important it is to overcome the stigma and shame that can be a barrier to getting treatment. Telling these stories lets other people know they are not alone and demonstrates that change and recovery is possible. Stories like these have the power to change lives and must be heard.
The power of lived experience
At Emerging Futures we champion the rights of people with lived experience. Many of our staff and volunteers have personal knowledge of the trauma and social disadvantage faced by our beneficiaries. They have an authentic voice that resonates with the people we seek to help and their personal stories are an incredibly effective means of bringing about change. We are committed to supporting people with lived experience to gain additional professional skills and expertise so they can use their life experience to work effectively with others who face similar challenges.
