I turned my life arounnd

3:10pm Friday 21st November 2008

A REHABILITATED drug addict has been given an award for getting his life back on track.

Michael Beckley, 47, lost his job, home and family after getting hooked on drugs.

But yesterday he was named in the individual achievement category of awards run by the Shaw Trust.

The trust is a national charity that provides training and work opportunities for people who are disadvantaged.

The dad-of-five received the award yesterday and has been celebrating his remarkable achievement.

It all started for Michael, of Affleck Close, Toothill, when he was prescribed the amphetamine tenuate dospan, which is no longer used by the NHS, for obesity. He was just 13.

He became addicted to the drug which gave him a high, before moving on to cannabis, alcohol and Class A drugs.

Michael, who is a rock and jazz musician, said: “It’s quite easy to function on recreational drugs.

“There are more people out there who work to pay for their drugs than you would imagine – that’s what it was like for me for quite a while. Just working with someone you wouldn’t notice – it’s only if you’re close to them that you notice.”

But Michael’s habit spiralled out of control and he moved onto the harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.

In 2001 he lost his house and subsequently his family.

“I built up an immunity and you need more and more,” he said.

“It’s what happens with drugs, you can’t get off, it’s a progression.”

Michael ended up living on the streets for three and a half years and was in and out of squats.

Following numerous previous attempts to quit drugs he was referred to Gloucester House – a Salvation Army addictions rehabilitation centre in Highworth. Michael is now back in contact with his family, including his brother who he did not speak to for 30 years.