Joao's journey to come off drugs

Joao was homeless, often in trouble with the police and using class A drugs - all this before he was 18 years old.

Like many people heavily using psychoactive drugs like Benzodiazepine Joao was less than stable. In fact, his life was chaotic. With bigger and bigger doses Joao became forgetful and often sleepy. Benzos, as they are known, are highly addictive and by 18 Joao was addicted to them.

When he tried himself to reduce his use of the drug he became twitchy, hyperactive and likely to kick off at the slightest thing. Joao says he was mentally unstable and had no real relationships with his family.

His social worker put him in contact with Catch22’s substance misuse service, 24/7 in Hampshire.

'Catch22 staff helped me calm down by encouraging me to focus on more positive things. Catch22 is always there, and you need that when you're coming off drugs. They were at the end of a phone and always prepared to help me through the difficult moments of recovery.'

In fact so acute was his drug use that he needed to be referred to a residential detoxification unit. Catch22 staff worked tirelessly to find a detox bed for him and arranged for his treatment to start straight away.

He no longer uses drugs and Joao’s life is now far more stable and less chaotic. 'I’ve got somewhere I can call a home. I have enrolled at the local college to study Aviation Operations. I also have a far better relationship with my family and have just got back from visiting my mum in Barcelona.'

Read more about Catch22’s substance misuse service in Hampshire.