Case studies
Jane’s story
See Jane's story in her own words
“I started attending the THC Clinic when my baby was 2 weeks old as I was ordered to rehabilitate by DOCS in order to keep my baby.
I had used Cannabis for half my life (15 years) as I thought it was fun and to avoid dealing with the reality of life. I thought for all these years that my life was fine.
The use of marijuana led to damaging behaviours which made my life spiral out of control. I had problems in all of my relationships with family and friends, trouble keeping jobs, financial and health problems and even housing problems. Smoking Cannabis led me to having a mental illness which could not be properly diagnosed or treated as the drug use masked a lot of my symptoms. My moods, emotions and thoughts were all over the place which affected my behaviour in a negative way.
My life was a vicious circle as I would have these problems and then take drugs to ‘avoid’ or to ‘forget’ about them, only leading to more problems. I lived in a fantasy world of denial and avoidance.
Initially attending the THC clinic I was angry and upset that I was losing a ‘friend’ in marijuana. I had come to depend on it when I was happy or sad… it was always there to make me ‘feel better’.
At the THC Clinic they gave me information about my addiction, teaching me skills to deal with the initial withdrawal symptoms and later on how to deal with ‘cravings’. They made me think about my life, where I want to be in the future and about my past. They helped me to understand why I took drugs and helped me to see what impact Cannabis had on my life.
The friendly, approachable staff at the THC Clinic has provided me great support with my rehabilitation and have provided referrals to other specialized services for other aspects of my life.
They have helped to provide me with the confidence to strive for a better life for me and my daughter while maintaining a drug free lifestyle.
Once I got past the initial withdrawals and cravings, being drug free has allowed me to look at the impacts of marijuana on my life and the detrimental affects it had on me.”
Jane, 31 years old.
