Finding An Oasis At DCM

I was homeless and running around the country before I came to Wellington. I was drinking heavily. I was an alcoholic. My mental health issues hadn’t been diagnosed, so I was unmedicated and pretty messy.

Before that I was in Christchurch. I got made redundant, and then I had nothing to do. I started drinking, getting into hard drugs, getting in trouble. I made a lot of people mad and I had to leave. I just wanted to hide somewhere and drink. That was my plan.

It’s crazy I kept drinking even when I was that sick. I knew I was sick, but the need for alcohol was stronger than any concern I had for my own safety.

I was housed out in the Hutt maybe six or seven years ago, not by DCM but someone else. They put me there to get me out of Wellington, away from the drinking. But I still drank sometimes. Then I got told my liver couldn’t take it anymore. They said it was no good. That changed everything.

I had to stop drinking, and that changed my life completely. I couldn’t fill the voids with alcohol anymore. I had to deal with stuff. Face my demons. And it was too much, really. I ended up needing medication.

There was nothing like DCM out in the Hutt then. I came back into town because there’s more here, and DCM is a hub that has everything I need. I’ve been coming here every day, every week, for as long as I’ve been back in Wellington.

DCM has supported me in all sorts of ways. I come here for coffee, for health, for dental, and they make sure I get to my appointments. Te Aro Health and the nurse let me know if the doctors want to see me. It’s amazing that everything is just here.

And yeah, I get food from DCM. It’s good to know it comes from people I know, not some stranger. It keeps it in the whānau, you know? I don’t eat much. Once a day is usually enough to keep me going.

I used to be a good cook, but I’ve lost all interest in it. Cooking for one is boring. Food is just something I put in myself now. The DCM staff are even trying to get more fruits and vegetables into me. I’ll eat it if it’s put in front of me, but I won’t cook it. I’m eating like an old man now.

DCM hasn’t given up on people, not like other places have. That’s what surprised me. DCM is an oasis and people rely on this place. If they weren’t here, there’d be nothing for us. We’d be eating out of rubbish bins.

"DCM is absolutely brilliant because it’s saving people in Wellington. It’s keeping people alive. Without this service, people would be lost. They’d just be lost."

These days, I guess, I’m mostly just working out what life looks like until I die. That’s what concerns me now. My health isn’t great. I don’t know how long I’ve got, but I’m trying to be all right until then.

If you’re struggling, don’t stop yourself. Get to DCM. If they see the need, they’ll help. I fully recommend it to anyone in Wellington who needs support.