Wayne's Story

Wayne's Story

Today, 30-year-old Wayne Edwards is celebrating more than two years of sobriety and preparing to move into his own home after rebuilding his life with support from Adferiad.

For years, however, Wayne felt trapped in a relentless cycle of addiction and mental health crisis, fighting simply to survive each day.

A high achiever who had always excelled academically, Wayne earned a degree in Mathematics before building a career in data management. But despite his analytical mind, he was battling severe anxiety, unaddressed trauma and escalating substance use.

Recognising that he could no longer cope alone, Wayne reached out to his parents for help. What he initially thought would be a brief pause to regroup became the beginning of a much longer and more complex journey towards recovery.

"I wasn't happy and I knew things weren't working, but I couldn't understand why, I couldn't just logic my way out of it" said Wayne.

Recognising that he could no longer cope alone, Wayne reached out to his parents for help. What he initially thought would be a brief pause to regroup became the beginning of a much longer and more complex journey towards recovery.

The isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded his struggles. While trying to rebuild his life, Wayne found himself caught in a devastating cycle of repeated relapses with alcohol and substances.

"I couldn't go longer than five days without alcohol," he recalls. "I'd think things were getting better, then I'd relapse again. That cycle went on for years, with the dependence and withdrawals getting worse every single time."

Ashamed of what he was experiencing, Wayne initially kept the full extent of his illness hidden from those closest to him.

"My parents knew something wasn't right, but I didn't identify myself as an alcoholic or a drug addict," he says.

Despite repeatedly trying to stop on his own, Wayne was living with severe psychological distress alongside his addiction, without the specialist dual-diagnosis support he desperately needed.

Despite repeatedly trying to stop on his own, Wayne was living with severe psychological distress alongside his addiction, without the specialist dual-diagnosis support he desperately needed.

In May 2024, after years of unimaginable suffering and barriers to accessing the right support, he reached crisis point and was admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt.

"I'd tried everything and nothing was working," he says. "I just couldn't see the point anymore. I believed I was unfixable."

Although Wayne describes much of his time in hospital as "a blur", it marked a vital turning point. A multidisciplinary team of professionals stepped in, leading to referrals for specialist drug and alcohol services, mental health support and Adferiad.

Wayne also credits key clinicians, particularly Dr Hesketh, for providing the specialist medical expertise and dual-diagnosis care he needed at a critical point in his recovery.

Navigating the social care system while preparing for residential treatment can be daunting, but Adferiad provided the steady, practical advocacy Wayne had been missing for years.

"I'd never been on benefits before and I didn't know what I was doing," Wayne explains.

"My support worker, John, would make phone calls with me, speak on my behalf, and help me through everything. It felt like I didn't have to carry all of the weight by myself. That was the biggest difference. I wasn't alone anymore."

Following a successful placement in residential rehabilitation, Wayne moved into Adferiad's Northgate House supported accommodation. There, in a safe and structured environment, he consolidated his recovery while developing the skills and confidence to live independently.

Crucially, his time in treatment and supported housing also allowed for comprehensive mental health and neurodevelopmental assessments. At the age of 30, Wayne was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism – a revelation that finally provided the missing piece of the puzzle after decades of feeling different.

"For years, I thought I was broken because I was bright and capable, but couldn't seem to cope with life in the same way as others," Wayne reflects.

"Receiving my ADHD and Autism diagnoses didn't solve everything overnight, but things finally started to make sense. I realised I wasn't unfixable – my brain was just wired differently, and I needed the right framework and support."

"I wish I'd known rehab and this level of support were available," he says.

"When you get there, you realise you're not alone. There are other people fighting their own battles too. There is hope. You have to trust the process and keep moving forward."

Today, Wayne is looking forward to moving into his own home and building the settled, purposeful future he once believed was out of reach. By sharing his story, he hopes to encourage others who are struggling to seek help.