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A new life for Soren

Soren waited eight months on a call that would change his life. 
Dropping everything to make the journey to Armidale within a matter of days, he arrived with a sense of excitement and uncertainty as he took his first steps through the doors of Freeman House. 
“It felt like the beginning of a whole new part of my life – the daunting part was not knowing what to do next,” Soren recalls. 
Four million people are estimated to be experiencing some form of drug dependency in Australia. 
Barriers persist for people trying to access support, including a perfect storm of services facing ever growing waitlists, combined with a shortage of funding that fails to keep up with demand. 
Services like Freeman House play a vital role in supporting people facing alcohol and other drugs dependency, offering a range of residential and outreach programs along with a detoxification unit. 
For Soren, the first seven days of his stay at Freeman House were spent in detox where the reality of his situation took hold. 
“When you're not in a position to just fade out with drugs it's a real reality slap.” 
Initially using substances as a form of coping while working in high pressure environments, it later became a means of escape during stressful periods in his marriage.  
As his dependency became more frequent and all-consuming, the cost was measured in the loss of his marriage, home and, ultimately, his freedom.  
It was during this time spent while incarcerated that a realisation came that change was needed. 
“I just felt, ‘enough's enough’, I can't do this anymore.”  
“That's when I tried ringing around all the different rehabs while I was in jail [and on bail].”

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Soren has gone on to spend close to a year at Freeman House working through various phases of his rehabilitation. Through participating in courses and engaging with his case worker, he’s gained a deeper understanding of dependency and strategies to build resilience. 
“The people here – the support staff, the case managers – actually genuinely want to help you… it's such a foreign feeling from being in a situation where you're addicted to drugs or [in jail]. 
He plans to remain close to the area once his stay comes to an end in order to maintain a support network and access the Regional AOD Connection Hub, a new addition to Freeman House allowing people in the community who want to address their dependency access to support through day programs. 
Crucially, Soren has been able to resist lapses when coming into contact with people from his past.  
“It came down to putting all the stuff that I learnt into practice.” 
“Getting through that first six months where you really instil it in yourself, so that it actually becomes who you are as opposed to what you're just trying to avoid. 
“It's changed my life. It's saved my life.”  
As Soren looks towards the future with hopes of getting a job and rekindling relationships with family, he’s filled with optimism at the prospect of making up for lost time with his daughter. 
“She’s 18 now, I’ve missed a good chunk of her life but I’m looking forward to spending a good amount of time with her.” 
Much has changed in Soren’s life over his past year at Freeman House, but perhaps the most enduring change is in how he views life itself. 
“We only get one of them… let's enjoy it.” 
Freeman House provides a range of residential and outreach support to assist people in their recovery journeys. Learn more about <a href="https://www.vinnies.org.au/nsw/find-help/houses/freeman-house-armidale" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freeman House</a>.