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Alcohol Journeys

Listen to real stories of people sharing their experiences and challenges they have faced with alcohol.
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Te Ora Poutama

Nau mai haere mai ki tenei wāhi whakaruruhau, kia whakahono ai ki ētahi rauemi awhi e pā ana ki te inu waipiro mō ngā whānau me ngā kaimahi hauora o te motu.

Whakarongo mai ki ngā korero mai ētahi whānau e rapu ana i tō rātou ake hauora, e whai oranga hei painga mō rātou.

Nau mai - Whakatau mai.

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We invite you to listen and reflect as our storytellers have brave conversations about the impact of drinking on their lives and the effects on their loved ones. They share what helped them to start reclaiming their wellbeing.

Launched in 2022, Alcohol Journeys is a series of audio stories told by tāngata Māori across Aotearoa.

We are honoured by the koha these storytellers have given in sharing their experiences. Our hope is that these real stories of change will encourage people throughout Aotearoa to have brave conversations of their own.

While these stories are real, all names and personal details have been changed for privacy reasons.

Please be aware that these stories may contain sensitive content that can be unsuitable or distressing for some people.

Mihi

Mihi grew up blaming herself for her mum’s physical and alcohol abuse. She talks about her journey to trust again and her aunty who kept her safe through the years.
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Ainsley

Ainsley's journey to heal involved rediscovering her culture, spirituality, and going through a programme to address the root of her alcohol abuse.
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Ngatokimatawhaorua

Ngatokimatawhaorua drank to deal with the stresses of life as a single parent. After a long journey of recovery, she works to regain full custody of her son.
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Marissa

Marissa grew up fast, caving into all sorts of social pressure by her early teens. Moving away from her old environment helped her to rethink her goals.
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Pera

Pera's alcohol abuse has led him into fights, gangs, jail, and getting caught for drunk driving.
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Lynn

Lynn, who is in her 60s, talks about how trying to hide her drinking problem from her husband created stress in her relationship.
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Lynn and Pera

Lynn and Pera, a married couple in their 60s, worked together on their issues with drinking with support from a counselor.
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Rosalie

Now in her early 50s, Rosalie has been through a long journey of loss, forgiveness and acceptance.
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Dave

Dave broke into his dad’s homebrew as a teenager and his drinking escalated from there.
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Maia

Maia grew up with by alcohol being linked to having a good time with whānau. After an uneasy experience with her son, she wants to put a a stop to the culture of harm around her.
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