Turning Point’s peer mentoring programme gave Tammy another chance at life. Zahra Paine tells her story.
Former Turning Point service user and peer mentor Tammy Doyle is well on her way to opening her own therapy business – a remarkable turnaround for someone who just four years ago was left with a 30 per cent chance of survival due to complications from binge-drinking.
Tammy, who spent two years at Turning Point’s City and Hackney service, said the social enterprise’s peer mentoring programme provided her with the platform to turn her life around. ‘I started the peer mentoring programme with Turning Point after I was six months sober. It really helped me with my long-term recovery, giving back to the community by supporting other people who were struggling. I really learnt a lot about myself. I learnt that I was more confident than I thought I was. It made me realise that I can interact with people because I always thought that I was kind of introverted.’
Tammy is using the skills she learnt as a peer mentor to go back to education and gain the qualifications that will allow her to open a business that utilises different therapeutic techniques to support people’s physical and mental well-being – she’s already completed courses in Indian head massage and reiki.
‘In September I’m going to start a level 3 diploma in massage at City Lit,’ she says. Her goal is similar to the one she had as a peer mentor – to help others who are struggling with difficulties with substance use. ‘I want to help women in recovery,’ she says. ‘I know a lot of people who need support in things like domestic abuse. But I want to use this form of therapy for whatever people need healing from.’
Tammy’s own alcohol issues spiralled out of control in her late 20s after the break-up of her relationship with her partner. There were periods where she would regularly consume up to five bottles of wine a night and could drink three quarters of a bottle of gin in one go. The pandemic exacerbated the problem and she was hospitalised, needing a five-hour emergency operation to repair her liver.
‘After all of this I was sent another lifeline,’ she says. ‘I spoke with my psychiatrist and he informed me of Turning Point. I referred myself online and received a call back. From the moment I received the phone call my life began to change. I was assigned a support worker called Lauren who was amazing. I finally felt listened to and understood.’
By September 2021 her liver function was close to normal. ‘Doctors were stunned, and I cried with happiness. I put my recovery down to eating a low-salt, low-sugar diet, no alcohol, exercising and losing a stone in weight.’
With the help of her support worker Tammy was able to take part in a mindfulness relapse prevention course, which taught her coping mechanisms to manage her cravings and urges. She also set goals for herself, including raising money for a charity and studying business and administration.
‘When it came to the end of my course and I was no longer in need of support after six months, Lauren asked about my plans for the future. I told her I’d love to become a support worker like her and help people the way she helped me. Not long after I received a message from her for training to become a peer mentor.’
After completing the peer mentor and volunteer training course, Tammy started escorting clients to rehab and detox centres and co-facilitating programmes. ‘My confidence began to grow and I was learning to become more sociable without having to use any substances. I had a great sense of control and freedom back. The course not only taught me about the work we would be doing and the information required, it also helped me to understand my own addiction which in turn made me even stronger in my sobriety.’
Tammy travelled to other services, meeting and listening to inspiring women who were doing well on their own journey. She also co-facilitated in the managing alcohol programme and introduced and co-facilitated the 5 Ways to Wellbeing group with her supervisor at Turning Point’s City and Hackney service.
She completed a four-week course for the service user involvement forum, where she met with other users to discuss and come up with ideas for the service and community. She also shared her story with medical students at the Royal London Hospital to help reduce the stigma surrounding addiction.
Tammy’s work at Turning Point was recognised when she received an Inspired by Possibility award in November 2022. ‘I’ve been given a second chance at life and feel so lucky,’ she says. ‘I won’t waste a second more.’
Zahra Paine is partnerships manager at Turning Point’s City and Hackney Integrated Recovery Service