Hi my name is Steven Snelson, I am 20 years old and resident here at the Turnaround Project. I would just like to give the readers of this article an idea of the life I have lived since the age of 16. Also to explain how the Turnaround Project has helped me and how it could possibly help you if you fit the right criteria.

At the age of 16 I was living at home with parents and I attended Helston School. The year of my GCSEs which were very challenging and unfortunately not that good, I was having problems at home, using the house like a hotel. My mum was very annoyed at this, besides the arguments, me thinking I could do whatever I wanted to do, and obviously my mum not taking too kindly to that either.

I started drinking from the age of 15. After my GCSEs I had an incident with a mate of mine offering my brother drink. This was to be my last act in the house, mum had enough and so did my dad and out I was thrown. I wasn’t just thrown out, they looked for places for me but ended up staying with a mate for a while, until this supported housing project called the Foyer had a place for me in Redruth.

The life change that happened was very hard to get used to and unfortunately my troubles just started when I was introduced to drugs at this place with the people I had met in Redruth. By the time I was 17, I was drinking every other day and drugs on a weekend (e.g. speed, Es, coke) and others. I only lasted 6 months there and things started to move in a series of moving places, this being because I started to take my drugs and I was getting kicked out because of non-payment of rent and not looking after myself either, coming home to an empty fridge and freezer. I moved all over the place sofa surfing, and at places like Truro, Camborne, Pool and Penzance.

I was 18 at this time and it’s where I spent the last 2 years up to Christmas 2008. Living in Penzance was a big learning curve for me but hell as well because I got into smoking weed really badly. I was smoking to the point that I woke up in the morning needing a joint or a bong just to feel normal. Spending about £10 a day to feel a buzz off a bit of pot also being an idiot and spending loads of money on drugs.

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