Louise describes her life as full and colourful. She has jumped out of aeroplanes, climbed cliff faces and tried her hand at many trades, including her time as a nightclub manager. But when asked to describe herself, the first word from her lips was “mother”.
Motherhood is something Louise always knew she was destined for and ultimately was what allowed her to win a two-decade battle with drug and alcohol dependency.
“[The substance use] started after an abusive relationship,” says Louise. “Before then I had never seen or used drugs and I was over 30.”
It was a family member who introduced Louise to drugs which ignited the throws of her dependency.
“I was going out for the first time since my relationship ended and I was really nervous,” she says. “A family member said this will take the edge off and put a finger in my mouth containing Speed.”
However, alcohol became a crutch for Louise due to its accessibility.
“Alcohol is so much easier to get your hands on. For me, I got to the stage of virtually drinking every day. I’ve lost my license from it,” she shares.
“My family didn’t want me around if I was drinking. It wasn’t because they didn’t love me, it hurt them to see me like that.
“My grandchildren need a good role model. I wasn’t one at that stage and it hurt me.”
As the research continues to tell us, for many prolonged dependency is not a moral failing or lack of willpower but merely a way to cope with pain. Sometimes what may feel like one’s only solution to survive trauma.
“I was having a hard time in life,” says Louise. “It was something that took me away from reality. It helped mask the pain.
“I was using as a way of not dealing with what was going on. It was not the best solution, but it was what I did.”
It was many years of attending detox, struggling with relapse and being enveloped in feelings of shame, guilt and inadequacy before Louise discovered Uniting’s Catalyst program.
“I tried to stop on my own and I had given up for long periods of time but I always went back to it,” says Louise. “I was missing this understanding of substance abuse. Without that knowledge it’s really hard.”
Uniting’s Catalyst program is a five-week, non-residential alcohol and drug program. It works to address substance use, provide education, embed healthy habits, new routines and provide support such as addressing addictive behaviours, cognitive behavioural therapy, nutrition, mindfulness and mood management.
“Catalyst has been delivered on the mainland since 2010,” says Uniting’s Executive Officer in Tasmania, Jeremy Pettet. “We identified a need in the Tassie community for a program like Catalyst.”
“Methamphetamine is a particular issue in Tasmania. As is the long-term issue of alcohol. They tend to be the biggest challenges people have.”
Uniting, who has over 50 years of delivering alcohol and other drug services, piloted the program in Hobart in late 2023 after recognising a gap in Tasmania for services which focus on education, health and long-term behaviour change for people after they complete withdrawal or detox programs.
“The basis of the program is cognitive behavioural therapy, so participants look at their thoughts, feelings and behaviours and learn helpful strategies to challenge the unhelpful thinking patterns they may experience,” says Catalyst Team Leader, Michelle Spence-King.
Throughout the past year, the program has seen great success. Participants have reported a 78% reduction in psychological distress, 61% have indicated improvements in their quality of life and over half (56%) noted better physical and psychological health.
“Unlike traditional rehab programs, it’s done in community,” says Jeremy. “So, people don’t go away into an artificial environment for the duration of their rehab.
“Every day you participate in activities with the counsellor and other people going through the same challenges you are and at the end of the day you go back into your normal environment where all the challenges are.”
One of the program’s fundamental goals is to prevent relapse, a common issue faced by people after undergoing residential or medical withdrawal. Research shows that without ongoing support and skill development, the risk of relapse is high.
For Louise, the program has provided her with a crucial knowledge base to understand her dependency and how to work through challenges when they arise.
“I think it’s the best thing that’s happened for me for a really, really long time. I’ve been struggling with addiction for 20 plus years and this is just like magic,” she says.
“The cognitive thinking has changed my outlook on life and situations that come up. It’s like you’re given a toolbox and you pull those tools out to apply to your life. If you don’t open that toolbox to use, you can’t move forward.”
In only 5 weeks, Louise has already seen her relationships rebuild.
“I had some of my family relationships suffer from my abuse and because of this program, even though it’s only been 5 weeks, they’ve noticed the difference. And our relationships have either mended or are growing again,” she says.
According to Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2023, overdose deaths have exceeded Australia’s road toll deaths since 2014.
An alarming 6 Australians lose their lives to overdose every day. That’s one person every 4 hours, making overdose one of the top 3 causes of death for adults under the age of 50.
Indigenous Australians are almost 4 times more likely to die from unintentional drug-induced death.
Programs like Catalyst remain vital not just for individuals but also families and communities. Often entangled in drug and alcohol dependency are other crises like homelessness, family violence, poverty and unemployment.
“We’ve seen how this program changes lives,” says Michelle.
“We want to challenge pre-conceived ideas and stigmas associated with people experiencing alcohol and other drug issues. It can impact people from all walks of life.
“Catalyst is here for those people who are ready to make long term changes to their use and lead a healthier lifestyle.”
The program has now completed one full year, supporting 46 participants. Over the past year, Catalyst has expanded referral networks, strengthened partnerships and supported participants from diverse backgrounds, including parents with young children and First Nations clients.
In April, Catalyst will also begin a youth program, supporting those aged 16 – 25.
Uniting runs the Catalyst program at North Hobart Uniting Church, who have generously donated use of their space. The congregation is committed to using their central and accessible location to support the community, the Catalyst program being just one of the many partnerships which aim to do so.
For many like Louise, Catalyst dares those to believe addiction recovery is not without hope.
“No more living just to feed my substance abuse. No more craving, no more feeling sick,” she says. “I am free thanks to Catalyst.”
*The image accompanying this story is for illustrative purposes only. It is not a photo of the person featured in this story.
