A 29-YEAR-OLD woman from Stroud has spoken out about her 18-year battle with drug and alcohol addiction in an aim to help others struggling in silence.

Sallie-Ann Lane’s struggle with addiction started at age 11 with alcohol and cannabis, by the time she was 15 she was already seeking professional help.

Her mother fled the domestic abuse she was receiving from Sallie-Ann’s father in 2004, he then won the following custody battle after persuading her to lie to social services.

Sallie-Ann battles with crack cocaine and heroin to this very day.

She said: “I’ve moved up and down the country all my life and I was always the new girl at the start of each school year.

“My dad enabled my addictions – there was a lack of a role model for me when I was growing up, if he had shown me love then things could have been a lot different.

“I’ve got no shame in saying I’m an addict, and if I can help just one person reach out and say ‘I’m in trouble’ then I’ll be happy.

“In life you do have ups and downs, but it’s what you make of it.”

“But if you don’t have the right support you’re pretty much f****d.”

In 2007, Sallie-Ann went on a militant detox course in Scotland to try and break her addiction, the course was a real success – despite its hardships – but upon celebrating with one small glass of wine she quickly relapsed.

“One glass of wine can easily turn into three bottles and a gram of cocaine, that’s all it takes,” she said.

In the following years she flickered between further recoveries and relapses, then in February 2013 some earth-shattering news hit her.

Her older brother Scott was hit by a car and killed while walking home in Norfolk, she relapsed once more.

She helped arrange his cremation, which falls on her birthday – February 28.

Sallie-Ann said: “I was very suicidal and mentally unwell, but I wouldn’t be who I am without my failures – there are so many people with drug addictions that are dying just because they are alone, we are people with feelings.

“It’s only by the grace of god and Dr Suzanne Mills at Beeches Green Surgery that I am still here today, without her I’d be dead.”

However, Sallie-Ann managed to reclaim a year of sobriety and in March 2014 she raised money for the road safety charity Brake by skydiving from 10,000 feet.

In 2014 she went to Thailand to assists with narcotics anonymous in an effort to mentor those battling with addiction – she was struggling herself because it was a year on from her brother’s death.

She said: “I don’t want to be a burden for people, but I know that people just need to believe in themselves.

“I’ve detoxed so many times but I just keep relapsing, I just can’t seem to keep it up.”

Originally from London, Sallie-Ann feels that there just aren’t sufficient care services available for those battling drug and alcohol addiction, and finds fault with change, grow, live (CGL) the social care and health charity.

CGL took over from Turning Point to provide the area’s drug and alcohol recovery service after winning a lucrative contract from Gloucestershire County Council in January.

Sallie-Ann said: “CGL have a lovely building but there is no welfare exchange – they’re putting people at risk and they don’t understand “There’s only a small percentage of people there that actually care about your wellbeing and they refuse to treat people that are still using drugs.

“I just wasn’t the correct support – you can’t be on your own, and the care needs to be ongoing.

“They don’t treat you like a person, just a number – and I feel like I’m made to jump through hoops when it’s hard enough to get myself to go to these places.

“Mental health services are failing me – I often have to wait three months for an appointment, when I need urgent help.”

Sallie-Ann was hospitalised last year after overdosing, and being in the hospital brought back the awful memories of her brother’s death.

“I’m hoping that by sharing my story it will encourage those in denial to speak out and seek help from their family, who are sometimes in denial too.

“I’ve spent a lot of my life lost and confused but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

A spokesman for CGL said: “We will look into this case and ensure the individual is given the treatment and support they require and deserve.

“Every individual who approaches CGL is welcomed, irrelevant of their current situation.

“People do not need to be drug or alcohol free to access our services. Each one is given a personal assessment, carried out by our fully trained engagement workers.

“They then work closely to develop their own treatment goals and fully tailored care package, as well as assigned a lead worker who will support them through every stage.

“We are committed to this personal care as we understand that it is imperative to recovery.

“The CGL service in Stroud offers a fully integrated drug and alcohol provision across Gloucestershire providing needle exchange, prescribing, access to detox and residential rehabilitation, groups, workshops, counseling and outreach.”