Chrissie did Peaced Together at St Thomas’s Church in York. When she was younger Chrissie had experienced domestic abuse and after the recent death of her granddaughter, the grief had caused her to turn to gambling for escape. Chrissie’s gambling quickly became an addiction which she kept hidden from everyone. On the outside people would have thought she had it together.
At first, she was uncertain as to whether she wanted to take part in Peaced Together. But she found that the course was for the whole of you, not just your arty side. Listening and sharing the Peaced Together journey with the other women in the group encouraged her to be more honest with herself as well as with others. For the first time she was able to admit she had a problem and seek help and support from Gamblers Anonymous.
The crunch week for Chrissie was the painting. She couldn’t look at a picture of her profile and didn’t want to do the craft. It stirred a lot of emotions in her and she realised how much self-loathing she had. She realised she was being ‘fake’ by never showing the real her.
Encouraged by her Peaced Together trainer she took her profile photo home, promising not to destroy it but fully intending to! For several days she kept looking at her picture but not quite destroying it. Then one day she thought maybe the picture just needed a bit of colour. So she just added some colour to her hair and her jumper, and some lipstick. It was a breakthrough moment for Chrissie and she discovered a love for herself. She wrote a poem about it.
The next week she took the picture back to Peaced Together and said, “I don’t have to be fake anymore!” She shared her journey and her poem with the group:
As I look back on myself
I know the road I took
The choices that I made on the way
My Life could be a story book
The hardships I endured
And the pain that came my way
The trials and tribulations
Nearly broke me I can say
Yet I became strong
By the new choices that I made
Became the me I am today
The real me that I want to stay
The course has enabled Chrissie to begin to process her grief for her granddaughter. She has replaced her gambling with crafting and writing poetry. The gambling offered an escape from her grief for a short time, but then left her feeling trapped and guilty. The craft and poetry have given her a way of processing her grief and leave her feeling inspired and hopeful.
Nine months on from the course, Chrissie continues to go to her GA support group and often shares her poems with the group. She helps out demonstrating craft activities at the craft café run by St Thomas Church where she did Peaced Together. Chrissie is feeling happy and hopeful about her future.
“Peaced Together has impacted every aspect of my life and now even my finances are in a better place as I am accountable for them.”
Chrissie