Igor's Leaving Speech 09

I never thought this moment would come. In the first 3 months I was here I thought I would end up living and sleeping in Gatwick airport or renting a room in a 5 star hotel to binge on my last dinner and hanging myself seemed more real than this. Fortunately that was my insane reality and not what really happened.

Now I'm sitting on this chair and I can't believe that I have spent 7 months at Prinsted and I've grown up. I came in probably about the age of 8 and now I think I'm about 17. I could never have done this alone and I'm very grateful for Brian and Caitilin's love and care and the parental figures that they have represented and represent in my life. I am also very thankful for Stuart's wisdom and integrity and Clare's understanding and care, Carole's attentiveness and dedication and great sense of humour, Colin for his great feelings group which I hated and failed to understand but at the end I understood. Also the wonderful carers that have also been caring and dedicated although they got on my nerves sometimes, but like they say" I'm just the messenger". Jenny, Trish, Maggie and Helen have always been there when I needed to talk and helped my sleep on those really bad days.

I also want to thank my peers, past and present for being patient with me and holding me through the process. For ignoring me when I would throw my toys out of the pram and their wisdom in group that has definitely made some pennies drop. It's been hard these past 7 months and I have fought this process all along, and still fight it sometimes, although I am starting to realise that I am only fighting myself.

Thanks to Prinsted I have a will to live again and I have hopes and dreams which I didn't have at the end of my addiction and now I am happier to be nearer to the light. I still have lot of work to do and this is just the beginning.

I have made great friends in Prinsted, some of them will be there probably till I die and that feels great because I can be myself with them and they can be themselves with me and I didn't think I knew what connected meant but I think I do now. Thank you Prinsted for this wonderful gift and I know I will always be close to this place and it's people because it has been an important time in my life and possibly the best and hardest thing I have done yet. Thank you.