Real Stories

Tāngata whai ora, graduates and kaimahi with lived experience of addiction share their personal journeys from addiction to Higher Ground Papa Taumata - and beyond.

Mo

Mo

"They made me really kind of take a step back and try and find myself . . . my beliefs, my religion, get closer to that."

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Shio

Shio

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Daisy

Daisy

"I wanted to stop regretting my past. Now I want to use it as wisdom . . . tell my kids one day that even though I came from a bad past . . . that at least I'll be able to give them wisdom in the future from it. "

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Tim

Tim

"People listen to your story, they relate to your story. They seem to get me when I thought no one else ever got me."

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Kaitaa

Kaitaa

"It is a voice of my recovery and who I am. It keeps me accountable to my now and to whānau that are not here . . . and those who are."

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Lusan

Lusan

"I did it for my grandchildren, because someone had to do it and it had to be me."

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Gemma

Gemma

"I wish I came to a, a place like this 10 years ago with my daughter. Maybe things might have been different."

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TJ

TJ

"“I was a shell and now I’m whole”"

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Joseph

Joseph

"You’re not going to get well if you don’t get real."

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Gene

Gene

"This is actually a safe space and Higher Ground really supports a lot of diverse people from all walks of life…so I felt really supported and encouraged as well."

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