Mehran took part in our Venture On to Recovery programme last year. Mehran’s journey with the programme didn’t start with a yes. When he first heard about it, he wasn’t ready. But when the opportunity came around again, something had changed and this time, he stepped in knowing he was ready to truly get something out of the experience. Read on to hear about his inspiring experience…
I came into recovery two and a half years ago. At the time, I was struggling. I had been using drugs for ages, and it was tough being so far from my family – isolation seemed to be the name of my game. I’ve experienced psychosis, anxiety, and depression…I admitted that I needed help, but I was so fearful. I came to recovery when I was hopeless, so when I first heard of Venture On to Recovery, I wasn’t ready to join the programme. Recovery is a process, and I just kept doing the right stuff. I’m glad I waited a few months before joining VS, because once I was in a better situation mentally, the opportunity came up again, and I jumped at it! It meant that I never missed a session, which I’m proud of.
I got a lot out of the morning meditations that we did, which really helped me be aware of my thoughts and feelings without reacting to them, which made it easier to talk about my feelings and not be scared of how you might get judged.
I was so lonely for years; it was always just me, but VS is such a safe and friendly environment. The programme is fun, but I do also remember waking up and asking God to give me the strength to be myself, and the strength to not judge others for being themselves. And now I have new friends, and after the programme ended, I’m still in touch with them.
The first time I did abseiling, it was very scary and, to be honest, that was probably the hardest part of my experience. I remember Jimmy telling me that those fears are about the control; it reminded me of the feeling before I came off my medication, it was so scary – I knew deep down that in order to get to the other side, I needed to push through the fear, and I did it – deep down I knew it was safe, but still – it was scary. In abseiling, I got to the top, and I felt like I should just walk down. But I had decided that if I was going to come to VS, I wanted to make the most of it and be part of it – but it was still the hardest bit!
My experience of the programme was brilliant; I’ve been recommending it to everyone in recovery! Venture On blended fun and meditation. We were all equal and included, and we voted to decide what we would do. I wouldn’t change anything about the programme; getting outdoors was brilliant, but I also got a lot out of the stuff we did indoors, the skills building and deep conversations. I loved talking about our personal and group values. I loved that because there were differences – I love that kind of talking.
I think the best part of the experience with VS for me was the last bothy. By that time, you know everyone and how to support one another. I really enjoyed the hill walk that we did, I hadn’t done anything like that for years; we went to the top and looked down and it was so gorgeous! The scenery kind of reminded me of some places in Iran. I remember one night, I went out and the sky was full of stars. We don’t see that much in the city centre, so it reminded me of Iran, which was lovely.
Venture On gave me my confidence back. I used to be either passively always agreeing, or I’d find myself being too aggressive; shutting the door down completely. This course has really helped me to be assertive; to be able to hold respect for other people and their opinions and still be able to say no. I feel more confident to be myself – to talk about what I believe without the fear of what some people think of me, and I know I’ll try to keep growing and working on my wellbeing and self-esteem, self-worth and self-respect. That is a great thing.
I did find the course ending a bit hard; but I’ve been volunteering, and I’ve been looking into using my languages – having come from Iran and I speak French, too. At the start, I struggled with communication in the recovery services, so I’ve found an organisation working with minorities to see if they need an interpreter, I think I could be helpful in that way. I’d like to go to college and see what opportunities there are.
I want to say thank you very much to everyone who played their part – especially the staff and volunteers – because they provide the environment for us to express ourselves and that means so, so much to me.
I did my best on the programme, just like everyone else did, and I’m learning more and more, that’s the code – in order to enjoy fully, you need to take part, fully. Be proactive.
If you’d like to join one of our programmes, or know someone who would, you can contact us at admin@venturescotland.org.uk and provide us with some information about your location and your preferred contact details. We’ll then put you in touch with our Outreach and Support Worker in your area.
If you’d like to support Venture Scotland, you can sign up for our mailing list here to stay informed about upcoming fundraising and volunteering opportunities, or visit this page to learn about the fundraising opportunities available for this year.