Koda's Story

As we head into Summer, we bask in the sun, spend time with our family and get ready to enjoy the holiday spirit. Sadly, for many young people it may be a difficult time managing family expectations, avoiding triggers and trying to stay off the streets. Koda’s story is that of strength and resilience, where she was able to take herself out a dark place with the right support.  

Koda was happy at university, she was working part-time, passionate about her studies and had great friends, yet lived with the hidden pain of trauma and abuse. After being sexually assaulted at a young age, the pressures of her trauma and abuse took a hold of her. Despite her outside world looking stable and healthy, Koda found herself drinking every day to escape her pain yet yearning for good support.  Unaware of how it affected those closest to her, she soon found herself without friends, unemployed and completely dependent on alcohol.  Koda has gone down a road she was afraid she couldn’t escape. At such a young age, she was alone, unhealthy and struggling to process her trauma.  

This was before Koda found Triple Care Farm. Entering the withdrawal and three-month residential rehabilitation program, Koda was provided with an individualised plan including life skills, physical activity and medical support.

Triple Care Farm became a big part of Koda’s life for several years. She grew a strong connection to all the staff and community workers, she felt safe and supported in her new environment and felt like she had a chance to flourish. The programs allowed her to understand her potential and work on her mental health issues in a healthy way. It was vital for Koda to know how to cope with her trauma without harming herself through substance misuse. However, the first time she left the Farm she hadn’t changed her environment and fell back into distressing patterns. Sometimes students need to enter Triple Care Farm’s programs multiple times in order to feel stable enough to go back into the community and stand on their own.  

Armed with determination and all she had learned at the Farm, she had the courage to call again and ask for help. Koda entered the withdrawal and residential rehabilitation program three times over several years. Being at the Farm wasn’t just about detox or recovery for Koda, but an opportunity to learn the tools she needed to have a safer future and build her life back up.  The community workers and skills she learnt in this time equipped her to achieve long term sustainable change in her life and harness her strength and resilience to overcome addiction. 

Through this year’s Youth Addiction Christmas Appeal, you can support young people just like Koda. To ensure they have the best chance for change this Christmas.