Hamza, 34

Out of debt and shame

Then

Hamza used cocaine with coworkers after work. It cost him hundreds of euros a week. He borrowed money and sold his things. He couldn't look his mother in the eye anymore, because she always asked how he was doing.

The turning point

After a night of using he got chest pain. The doctor said he had been lucky. Hamza told his mother the truth. She cried and then said: you're my son, I'll help you. He started treatment and a debt program.

Now

Hamza has been clean for two years. He has a new job and different coworkers to work out with. His debts are almost gone. He says: I was so afraid of the shame. But the shame was worse as long as I stayed silent.

“The people who love you often want to help more than you think.”

The people in these stories are fictional. Their experiences are based on what many people in recovery go through.

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