Barry Stone is a man with an inspirational story for all people struggling with substance abuse. Stone’s life was going down the drain but he got a second chance after gardening came to his rescue; he fell in love with gardening in 2013 after he volunteered to work for the John Room House vegetable garden.

Before gardening gave him something helpful to focus on, Stone was deeply immersed in the drug world with no hope in sight. Even his confidence was lacking; taking three days to introduce himself to the other people in the supported housing scheme.

He has worked for more than sixty hours as a volunteer and he currently runs the gardens, which supply the scheme’s kitchen.

Gabbie Joyce from Garden Organic awarded Stone with a volunteering certificate in recognition of his hard work and achievements in the volunteering project.

Lending a hand to others

In March 2014, Breckland Master Gardeners offered an induction course that Stone used to introduce twenty other people to gardening. The Breckland Master Gardeners project was organized by the Breckland Council.

According to Breckland Council’s Lynda Turner, Stone is a living proof that gardening has both physical and nutritional benefits. She added that he was an inspiration to other Master Gardeners as well as residents.

Ms Turner also revealed that their project has been enjoying a lot of success since it was initiated in 2014. She said that twenty-one new Master Gardeners have helped more than four hundred new growers get into gardening.

New Interests

People trying to recover from substance abuse should not only give up drugs or alcohol but they should also develop new interests. This will help them spend their time doing something constructive and enjoyable; new interests will distract them from doing drugs and give their lives a new purpose.

It is very important that a recovering addict should identify something enjoyable to do in order to avoid a relapse. And what’s better than a brand new hobby? Just like Barry Stone’s gardening hobby gave him a new purpose, every recovering addict should choose a hobby that builds both mental and physical strength.

Tip: Bromeliads are unique and very interesting plants and we would therefore advise recovering addicts to consider getting into bromeliads planting.

Why Recovering Addicts need to kill Boredom

Boredom happens when individuals are in an “unwanted” environment or they are involved in doing something they are not interested in; it is therefore advisable not to force recovering addicts to take up something they dislike.

When boredom kicks in, these patients often reminisce about how they used to enjoy abusing drugs, even forgetting that they are trying to quit, and as a result, this can lead to a relapse.

Boredom is so serious that it can also cause depression and irritability.

How a Hobby can change life

A new hobby can save a life, help you meet new people, give you something fun to pursue and who knows, you can even turn it into a profession. Apart from bromeliad planting, you can also choose other hobbies like fishing, running, swimming, hiking and stamp collection.