Why stand on a silent platform?
Due to national cuts, the budget for substance misuse is being reduced by 24% from April 2018… With hugely negative and immediate effect this means Windmill House- the only current operating residential detoxification & rehabilitation service unit left in Surrey is closing.
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/planned-closure-substance-misuse-inpatient-14514066
Windmill House is a specialist unit within the grounds of St Peters Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, which provides 24-hour residential treatment and support to adults over 18 who want to become abstinent from drugs or alcohol.
On June 12th of last year I entered this remarkable facility and received treatment that quite literally saved my life and gave me a whole new chance and platform from which to start afresh, and with the necessary help and compassion of understanding staff, was able to get my life in order, mentally, physically and logistically, to sum up: The is place both saved my life and gave me my life back!
The closure of this integral public facility truly breaks my heart and stirs immense anger in me, not just because of my personal experience, but because of it’s underestimated social importance, the inevitably dire consequences and impact this will have upon those unable to seek the same help and treatment I and so many of my now close friends in recovery have.
In my humble opinion this is a huge shortsighted mistake that is being somewhat brushed under the carpet of administrative ignorance. The inevitable consequences far outweigh the tepid cost cutting reasons and will only increase strain on the NHS sooner than I think the powers that be are foreseeing.
The problem is addiction and substance misuse is still so dangerously misunderstood by society, labelled and packaged as a ‘choice’ rather than a ‘condition’ and thus preventing any authoritative or administrative compassion or significance.
The complex arguments for protesting this hideous decision far outweigh the reasoning being given, and the excuses are profoundly naive to say the least. To think that somebody hopelessly lost in drug and alcohol dependancy (to merely stay alive) and unable to do the simplest of things, lost in this dark lonely and decrepit, abysmal state, will now have to get themselves to an ambulatory clinic to receive detoxification or substitute medication, which is standard community practice for dependancy. But speaking as an inpatient myself I know first hand just how unrealistic this ‘make do solution’ will be. The residential help and procedures of rehab are integral to a successful prolonged treatment, having tried countless times myself to undergo community detoxification attending a Monday to Friday clinic I know that the majority (myself included) simply will not succeed and inevitably succumb to the claws of addiction again and again, consequently resulting in death. Death that I now know can be prevented.
For my own journey and experiences through rehabilitation I learned how to put myself back together and begin to live a new life, healthier, optimistic, armed with sustainable skills, focus and tools that enforce continued abstinence. This does not happen overnight and needs to be implemented in such a way that residential rehabilitation offers.
Understandably deep rooted friendships are forged throughout residency in rehab, while we are all truly equal, away from judgmental eyes and at our most vulnerable, learning ways in which to cope grow and do life without our crutches of self medication. And so these associations then continue to grow, assist and offer compassionate understanding and support when we emerge from the bubble back into an overwhelming society… which simply can not be achieved in a lesser, diluted, fund cut alternative fashion.
(My time at Windmill House with some friends for life)
I am and will forever be eternally grateful for my time at windmill house, and honestly feel I owe my life to the incredible staff there, who do such an overlooked and often thankless, gruelling task- quite literally picking us up off the floor and rebuilding us to overcome whatever addictions have nested within our fragile souls. Nobody sets out to become hopelessly addicted to a substance, which will sooner or later gobble up anything and everything until your either dead or so broken that the only way is the wrong way.
And so to anyone out there with whom this issue resonates, I urge you to please take action with any of the following avenues available, as limited as they are, at least there is a chance to voice opinion and emphasise the weight of importance these closures will have, and the knock on effects for those less fortunate than myself and all my fellow inmates.
Public events to have your say on the changes being made:
Please head to these websites for links and more information:
https://www.surreysays.co.uk/deputy-ceo/changes-to-detoxifcation-services/
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/planned-closure-substance-misuse-inpatient-14514066
Over the past few months I have had the upmost pleasure to revisit Windmill House and give talks on my journey with the inpatients and discuss my after care plan through Transform Housing -which is an option for all who complete their time in rehabilitation. It was a humbling and joyous experience to be able to give back in a small way and to thank the staff who helped me (and show off my healthy, 3 stone heavier abstinent glow)
And finally (to end on a positive note) here be my silly old self with a few of the angels that helped get my life back.
I can truly testify that residential treatment does work!
Thanks for reading,
Peace, luv and hugz
Sammy x
Post apocalyptic ballet 
Hey sammy boy nicely put & glad you chose half decent photos of me 😃.
With you all the way on crusade dude.
Its so sad seeing & hearing people in groups say “they can’t wait to get into windmill house” & now all their hopes have been shattered, I’ve been told not one single person in the Guildford groups is in line for one of the last places.
It just doesn’t make sense.
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