Amanda's Story

Here's how SmartMove helped Amanda on her amazing journey to recovery from addiction.

When Amanda first came to us for support, she had just started her journey into recovery from addiction, struggling with a dependency on crack and heroin. She had spent some time sleeping on the sofa at her mum’s house, eventually having to begin sofa-surfing, and as a result she battled severe anxiety and depression. After the tragic and unfortunate passing of her brother the issues with her mental health only got worse. After this painful loss, her life at home became hostile and so she spent most of her days at meetings for Narcotics Anonymous to avoid the bitter environment where she was staying. It was clear from the moment Amanda arrived at Smartmove and opened up about her moving story that she needed vital support to get her back on her feet. We at Smartmove identified four key areas of support for Amanda: accommodation and maintenance of tenancy; access to mental health services; access to substance abuse services; and support with budgeting.

The first priority for Amanda was finding suitable accommodation as her current living conditions were the root of her mental health issues. We put her straight onto the Smartmove Bond Scheme - a system in place for us to work closely with landlords to ensure the safe accommodation of our clients – due to former debts with social housing services. After the first viewed property did not meet the safety criteria for her, Smartmove found a small, self-contained bedsit that was just right for Amanda to start getting back on her feet. The independence and safety that came with having her own place to live made her recovery a resounding success. Six months on from her initial accommodation and the property manager agreed to set aside a larger flat for her to move to next month.

Since Amanda has become a client with Smartmove she has made huge strides forward in her recovery from substance abuse and poor mental health, having reached the extraordinary milestone of being clean from narcotics for two straight years. Along with this, the relief of living in her own home, paying off her arrears, and future prospects on the horizon, have resulted in promising leaps forward in her mental wellbeing and overall quality of life. It is safe to say that without Smartmove’s aid Amanda would be in the same position she was two years ago, however by taking the step to reach out for support, she has managed to become herself again and move forward to a promising and independent future.

Article written by Billy Biggs 

Names changed to protect identity 

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