Ep84. Angie, transformation of the chameleon and chronic relapser

The Truth About Addiction

Growing up in Rockhampton, Angie’s parents arrived in Australia on a boat in the late 1950s. Angie was always the ‘naughty kid’ who frequently found herself in the principal’s office facing suspension, while her excellling sisters were Dux of school. Negative attention is still better than none. She was often labelled as ‘the Devil’s Child’.

Angie and her sisters confronted racism dominantly during their school years, which left her self-conscious and resentful of her background. ‘I didn’t accept the Wog side of me.’ She didn’t want to speak her native language, didn’t want to be near her sisters at school. She distanced herself from her family. Angie’s shame surrounding her identity and origins led her down a troubling path.

Angie described going through the natural progression of substance abuse, finding solace in heroin which it provided her with a sense of wholesome, completeness, warmth and comfort - all the perfect illusions. Angie didn’t stop at stealing, shoplifting, prostitution, credit card and cheque fraud, she even robbed her father.

When Angie found Narcotics Anonymous, she found her tribe, the connection she had always sought. It wasn’t an easy journey. Relapses were real, and her depression was flying high. With multiple relapses on the record, after 22 and a half years, she sadly picked up heroin again. “Having a habit in your 50s is not pretty.”

Returning to the embrace of Narcotics Anonymous, Angie embarked on a new path in life. She established her own cleaning business and teaches yoga. She is now helping others with drug and alcohol addiction while pursuing her diploma in counselling.

She had always been a chameleon throughout her life. Today, Angie is on a journey of self-discovery and learning to get comfortable with who she is. One day at a time.

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