Theatre, women’s football, books and animals. That’s me – they’re my loves! I’m also really proud to be 2,392 days sober, that’s nearly 7 years! In fact, that is my proudest achievement in life so far.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I live in Doncaster with my lovely cat Willow and I’ve just moved into a brand-new home! I first started working with the social prescribing team just as I was about to move house and the timing was perfect. My advisor has helped given me a purpose at the start of this new chapter – she’s given me something to look forward to, and I’ve got a routine now!
Over the years I’ve visited quite a few different services relating to my recovery. I’ve not always had the best experiences, and family times have been tough recently. There have been some real low points where I’d walk through the doors of services filled with dread, but things are different now! I’ve been given so much information that has completely changed my outlook. I’ve learnt about lots of services in Doncaster that I didn’t even know existed and I really feel a great connection with the social prescribing team.
I first found out about social prescribing through my GP, and by coincidence my friend Edie (who’s like a mum to me) also got involved with social prescribing at a similar time. I saw the experience Edie was having, and if I’d not already been signed up for social prescribing I’d have been asking to have been added to their list!
It really is a brilliant service that is tailor made for you. Everybody is different and so we all need different things to help us stay well. As well as books and sport, I love jigsaws! And my advisor has told me all about a games café I can go to which I’m excited about.
For now I’m looking forward to getting properly settled in my new home and then I’ll be able to delve back into all the information I’ve been given by the team. And one day, I’d really love to write a book about my experiences. It was actually a book that helped me to get sober all those years ago so I’d love to return the favour and write something that could help change someone else’s life.
You can find out more about Doncaster Social Prescribing and My Best Life Barnsley here.
