The Sanctuary

THE MARY MAGDALEN FOUNDATION, known to people in recovery as the Sanctuary. I was introduced to the Sanctuary by my counsellor from apas and on my first visit he took me there, I am grateful he did because left to myself I don't think I would have got there.

My name is David, I am an alcoholic, it was very early in my recovery that i first went to the Sanctuary and I was still full of fear, very nervous. This being new to me I didn't know what to expect and the first thing they do is an assessment to see what the problem is or how far you have come in your recovery. The staff and volunteers make you very welcome, "as I said before" I was very nervous, they put you at your ease and don't try to force you into anything you don't feel comfortable with. They actually understand, some of these people are in recovery themselves and they know how it is for anyone fairly new in recovery as there have been there themselves.

The Sanctuary don't only deal with alcohol addiction, it deals with all addictions and family members are welcome too. I have great admiration for the work these people do, they have taught me so much in the time I have been going there. At first I was very quiet, they encouraged me to join in conversations and gradually, as I started to get to know more people, the more I relaxed. Then I went on to do the BIG BOOK STUDY, working through the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which gave me a better understanding of my illness and about living in the solution (meaning Recovery). 

There is always someone you can talk to on a one to one basis if you need to and there are other activities you can join in, sometimes they arrange outings which you will be asked if you would like to go on and they also have an allotment where members of the Sanctuary can grow plants and vegetables. 

In using the Sanctuary it has been my experience that there is loads of support and advice, people make every effort to help where they can and the people you meet there come from all walks of life and are happy to share their experiences. These are people who are at all stages of recovery ranging from people just starting recovery to people with years of recovery.

You don't just use the Sanctuary when you have problems either, I like to go there to have a chat and a coffee with friends because I have made a lot of friends since I started attending the Sanctuary, it is a very safe place to be and you don't have to worry about people coming in drunk and causing problems, they do have rules. If you need a bit of peace and quiet, especially on a nice day, there is a garden at the back you can sit in, and thats ok, no one is going to moan at you for having some time to yourself.

It is like having an extended family only better because the people you meet there know where you are coming from and do not judge you.

The Sanctuary 0115 942 4484

By Dave