Adrian's Story

At just 19 years of age Adrian joined the army as a mechanic. During his six year spell in the forces, he was stationed on a tour to Bosnia on which he suffered severe injuries that still cause him pain to this day.

After leaving the forces Adrian got a job as a firefighter at his local airport. However when he was made redundant, he began to suffer from problems with his mental health. His deteriorating health issues led to the breakdown of his family and after leaving the family home, Adrian had nowhere to turn.

He began living in a tent in a forest and without being able to hold down a job, he turned to substance abuse as a way to cope with his issues.

It was a desperate situation for Adrian but ultimately one that was about to get better. After being referred to Alabaré by SSAFA, he was offered accommodation in one of our specialist homes for ex-military personnel.

 With a roof over his head, Adrian has begun to turn things around. He has started studying again with the hope of going to university to study nursing. Adrian is also now at a stage where he is looking to move on to his own independent accommodation.

“If I hadn’t come to Alabaré I would be dead .This place has worked wonders on me and has straightened me out. Now it’s time to go out and put theory into practice.”