Photographs by women recovering from addiction, exploring and reflecting on milestones and challenges to a positive future through photography. PhotoVoice in partnership with Diversity in Care www.photovoice.org | www.diversityincare.org.uk

1. Shutter Release
PhotoVoice
in partnership with
DiversityInCare
Workshops with women
recovering from addiction
Ealing, 2013

2. Tracey Sumner

3. My Journey
Tracey Sumner

4. Change of direction.
Tracey Sumner

5. Facing my demons
Tracey Sumner

6. Getting rid of excess baggage
Tracey Sumner

7. Learning to walk again
Tracey Sumner

8. My life has been a mess
Tracey Sumner

9. At times I thought I’d go NUTS
Tracey Sumner

10. I didn’t tick the right boxes
Tracey Sumner

11. Lost my sense of own personal affects
Tracey Sumner

12. Self-medicating led to addictions, but
now I listen to what the doctor says
Tracey Sumner

13. A baby blanket is all I had left of my
daughters
Tracey Sumner

14. Their letters kept my heart going
Tracey Sumner

15. I kept a shrine to get them back
Tracey Sumner

16. I want to be a real mum
Tracey Sumner

17. Tracey Sumner

18. Tracey Sumner

19. Tracey Sumner

20. Tracey Sumner

21. Tracey Sumner

22. Tracey Sumner

23. Tracey Sumner

24. Tracey Sumner

25. Tracey Sumner

26. Now it’s time to focus
Tracey Sumner

27. The switch is on

28. Healthy diet

29. Right beliefs
Tracey Sumner

30. Clear nooks and crannies
Tracey Sumner

31. Fill in all the holes
Tracey Sumner

32. Wipe the slate clean
Tracey Sumner

33. Make space
Tracey Sumner

34. Let go of the past
Tracey Sumner

35. I am a mom, I have a family.
Tracey Sumner

36. Sian Angus

37. Anxiety makes me hide away
Sian Angus

38. I hide behind my brave face
Sian Angus

39. Discipline. A routine is important to structure your life. Try to go
to bed at the same time. Get up at the same time.
Sian Angus

40. Self Acceptance. You may not like your hair but there are many
hats out there. You may not have the money to change the
shape your nose, so you have to live with it. There are so many
people worse off than you.
Sian Angus

41. Sian Angus

42. Face your fears. What are you scared of? Why are you scared?
Usually the answers are simple – you have made yourself scared
and are just using it as an excuse to isolate yourself.
Sian Angus

43. Don’t sit in front of the TV all day
drinking tea and smoking fags.
Sian Angus

44. Her name is Baby, my reason for getting up in the
morning. But I need more fulfilment in my life.
Sian Angus

45. Getting Out. You live in the capital of England, yet you go no
further than a couple of miles from your home. Get out there
even if it’s on your own and explore this amazing city.
Sian Angus

46. Create a safe haven to return to.
Sian Angus

47. These feet should be out walking.

48. Finding and touching something real. Overcoming fear.
Sian Angus

49. Recognise your talents. Get out there. Join groups and clubs. If
you like yourself then other people will like you. No-one likes to
be around a negative moaning Minnie.
Sian Angus

50. No excuses now. Get out there and enjoy,
come rain or shine.
Sian Angus

51. Liza Stephens

52. I want to have inner peace and tranquillity.
Inner peace means quietness and the absence of
chatter in my head.
Freedom to express the truth about feelings,
showing I am happy in my soul and whole being.
At one with the world.
I hate being naked to the world. I don’t want to be
bullied again. I am finding it hard to take life’s
knocks and move on.
I’m stuck and trapped in this endless life cycle of
addiction, co-dependency and self-abuse.
I will get there with each step.

53. Vulnerable
Liza Stephens

54. Stuck in the middle.
Liza Stephens

55. Hiding
Liza Stephens

56. Anxious and fearful.
Liza Stephens

57. Taking care of business. The reality of responsibility.
Liza Stephens

58. A work in progress…
Liza Stephens

59. This is the start of my recovery / journey.
Liza Stephens

60. Acceptance of my sensitivity and vulnerability.
Liza Stephens

61. I need love, affection and comfort.
Liza Stephens

62. Positive steps in the right direction.
Liza Stephens

63. Developing a passion, with a razor sharp mind.
Liza Stephens

64. Letting go of pre-conceived ideas.
Liza Stephens

65. Steps to seeking fulfilment.
Liza Stephens

66. Knowing the risks of not remaining abstinent.
Liza Stephens

67. Knowing the risks of not remaining abstinent.
Liza Stephens

68. Attaining fulfilment and joy.
Liza Stephens

69. Attaining fulfilment and joy.
Liza Stephens

70. Letting go of my old ways.
Liza Stephens

71. Structure daily routine.
Liza Stephens

72. Inner peace and serenity.
Liza Stephens

73. Inner peace and serenity.
Liza Stephens

74. Sobriety and long lasting friendships.
Liza Stephens

75. Teri Austin

76. I’m in prison of my own making.
Teri Austin

77. I’m lost. Where am I going?
Teri Austin

78. Which route do I take?
Teri Austin

79. I need something dependable and resilient.
Teri Austin

80. Unity, recovery and service.
Teri Austin

81. Accept my Dis-Ease.
Teri Austin

82. Confront the wreckage of my past.
Teri Austin

83. I need a solid structure.
Teri Austin

84. To cross that bridge to normal living.
Teri Austin

85. Don’t put anything off till tomorrow.
Teri Austin

86. This is my way to start each day.
Teri Austin

87. Ready for a workout.
Teri Austin

88. Face the fear.
Teri Austin

89. Don’t panic about little things.
Teri Austin

90. Take control of your life.
Teri Austin

91. Acceptance is the key.
Teri Austin

92. Cut back the thorns to move upwards and onwards.
Teri Austin

93. Are you ready to de-clutter?
Teri Austin

94. There is a place for your rubbish outside.
Teri Austin

95. Let go and trust.
Teri Austin

96. Don’t let excess baggage weigh you down.
Teri Austin

97. Now for some nosh.
Teri Austin

98. Share with love
Teri Austin

99. Don’t give a damn about judgement.
Teri Austin

100. Time to give back.
Teri Austin

101. My past.
Teri Austin

102. Be present.
Teri Austin

103. Mary O’Neill

104. Overwhelmed. Trying to do so many things all at once. Seeking
perfection of myself in every role I play.
Being pulled in every direction.
Mary O’Neill

105. Chaos. I was overwhelmed with the loss of my parents, divorce,
debt, struggling to keep strong for my three kids.
Mary O’Neill

106. Make or break. Sink or swim. HELP.
Mary O’Neill

107. Pain of addiction. To think I thought the answer to my problems
was to block pain and emotions in drink .
Mary O’Neill

109. It’s the climb.
There is always gonna be
another mountain.
I’m always gonna want to
make it move. There is
always going to be an upward
battle – sometimes I’m gonna
have to lose.
It ain’t about how fast I get
there.
It ain’t about what’s written
on the other side.
It’s the climb.

110. Cooking and cleaning are menial tasks I have to do,
but loving my children and making them smile makes
everything else worth while.
Mary O’Neill

111. Keep positive. Only actions will make you drink. A thought
might suggest it. Can a thought alone open your hand?
Actions speak louder than words.
Mary O’Neill

112. Stop. Never think negative. When you start experiencing
negative thoughts, imagine a red light and put a stop to them.
Mary O’Neill

113. The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger
than the one who never fell.
Mary O’Neill

114. Life is in a lot of ways just like a party. You invite a lot of people.
Some leave early. Some stay up all night. Some laugh at you.
Some laugh with you and some show up really late. At the end,
once the fun is over, some of them will stay and help you clean up
the mess, even though they have never made it. It’s those people
that really matter. The ones you can count on. True friends.
Mary O’Neill

115. I’ve felt pain. I’ve endured hardship. I’ve suffered loss of loved
ones and I’ve memories I want to forget. However, these things
have made me stronger and today I face the world with a smile.
I know things will always get better. Those who love me will
always be there for me. Seeing the light.
Mary O’Neill

116. Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another
person or event to control your emotions.
Mary O’Neill

117. Gratitude. To be content and happy with everything we already
have in life. You can always want more.
Be aware of how lucky we are.
Mary O’Neill