Pauline's Story
A mother of three, Pauline has been a street drinker for over ten years. Her youngest son was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Pauline saw it happen. She broke down. She became a heavy drinker, lost her house, lost her marriage, lost her family. Stuck in her grief, she stopped caring about herself.
When she came to live in Aungier Street, in January 2003, local services considered her too chaotic to sustain accommodation. She had been excluded from many other services in the city. Pauline has remained with Depaul Ireland since then and took a bed in Sundial House when it opened in September 2008.
Pauline is still a heavy drinker but has a more balanced lifestyle now. Her keyworker works with her on a weekly budget and alcohol plan. They link in about GP appointments, hospital check-ups, attending grief and addictions counseling. It’s about trying to minimize the harm of a lifestyle of daily drinking and promote the benefits of increased self-care.
Pauline is most proud of the room she can now call her own. She cleans it herself, without help from any staff members, and has it decorated with photos and cuddly toys. ‘Like a palace’, is how she describes it.
She is in regular contact with her oldest son, who has just turned 30. She brought him to Sundial on the day of his birthday and gave him a gift and a cake. Pauline is still considered too chaotic to have contact with her middle son, who is in care. Sometimes she becomes inconsolable about this but, sadly, she still hasn’t found the place of peace that would help her manage her drinking to the point where it would stop causing problems for her family relationships.
Pauline is still grieving for the lost six-year boy who died in front of her. She cries for her youngest son, her baby, most days. Sometimes she goes to visit his grave. It’s a loss she may never recover from. Depaul Ireland will keep working with Pauline, supporting and encouraging her; and, on those difficult days, like her baby’s birthday or Mother’s Day, being mindful around making sure she knows she’s valued and appreciated. Its that mix of support and empathy that have helped her sustain her accommodation over the past seven years and given her the strength to recreate a place called home after all that she had was lost.
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