AN EX-DRUG addict turned support worker is raising awareness of overdose after beating addiction.

Alan Dobson said his life felt like a “horror movie” after becoming dependant on alcohol and heroin from a young age.

However, after seeking help from drug and alcohol charity, WithYou in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Alan said his life is “so different”.

Ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, Alan is speaking out on his experience.

“For as long as I can remember, I used alcohol and drugs as a way to process my traumas.

“My mum died when I was in my early 20s, and that’s what eventually led me to heroin. From that point onwards, my life changed hugely.

“It was like I was living in a horror movie.

“My life was like this huge, dark void.

“I used drugs as a way to fill the emptiness that I felt and I was constantly in and out of prison, as I’d commit petty crimes to pay for my habit.”

Between 2022 and 2023 there were 45 drug related deaths across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, an increase on the two previous years of 38 and 36 deaths.

Alan said: “I just didn’t realise that there was a solution, a way out.

“But there is a way out - and I want anyone who’s struggling with drugs or alcohol to know that WithYou in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole can be that solution.

“My life is so different now.

“I spend time with my wife and son.

“I go for walks, enjoy photography, and see my friends.

“I never thought that I deserved to feel the happiness that I do now, and so this week, as I remember the friends that I’ve lost to overdoses over the years, to honour them, I want to celebrate the life that I’ve learnt to live.

“I want to tell people that it is possible to live a life - a happy, fulfilling and rich life - after all the years of darkness.”

Alan is also advocating for the use of naloxone, a medicine which temporarily reverses the effects of opioid drugs such as heroin and methadone.

The medicine will not cause harm to a person who has not used opioids but can save the lives of those who have.

WithYou offers free and confidential support to adults, young people and families.

The charity can be contacted on 01202 558855, using the free webchat or by visiting an office in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole or Boscombe.