Toowoomba woman credits Base Services for helping her overcome ice addiction

A Toowoomba woman has overcome her three-year battle with ice addiction, and she credits one local service in helping her with drug use. This is Georgia’s story.

Georgia Hanrahan’s lowest ebb during her three-year battle with drug addiction was when she put her right hand through a window while she was high.

The damage was so bad, she eventually had to have two of her fingers partially amputated.

“That was my wake-up call,” she said.

“After it happened, I went into rehab for five days, and I didn’t last there for long, but a month later I got clean on my own and I applied for the traineeship here.”

The 21-year-old said the aformentioned 2nd Shot traineeship, run by the Base Services’ Nat and Tiff Spary, helped her to beat her methamphetamine addiction for good and set her on the path to a better life.

Georgia Hanrahan has turned her life around thanks to the 2nd Shot traineeship program. Picture: Kevin Farmer

After completing the six-month course, which gave her a Cert I in hospitality, Ms Hanrahan impressed the Sparys so much they offered her a paid traineeship working at the front desk of their administration building.

Now 12 months sober, she directly credits both the 2nd Shot program and the Base Services for giving her the skills she needed to reclaim her life.

“At the start of my traineeship, I was still battling addiction, and Tiff’s a social worker, (so) I just said to her I was still struggling,” Ms Hanrahan said.

“I wasn’t completely off it and I was homeless, so she sat down with me and did an action plan.

“She broke down what triggers me, and how to counter it.

“I now know I wouldn’t be where I am now without Nat and Tiff.”

Georgia Hanrahan talks with Nat Spary of Base Services. Picture: Kevin Farmer

But Ms Hanrahan’s outlook and future wasn’t as pretty when she arrived in Toowoomba as a 17-year-old, having moved from Dalby.

“I had a great upbringing, and then I started smoking weed and when my parents found out, that caused conflict between us,” she said.

“That led me to move to Toowoomba by myself — I was practically on the streets, I didn’t really have anywhere to go.

“I was at a party, and obviously the wrong people were there — I went (there) one night, and I didn’t leave for three months.

“I felt good when I was on it, but obviously when I was coming off it I felt like crap so I had to jump back on.

“At some stages, I was using every day.”

When Ms Hanrahan reflected on her years as an addict, she realised how numb it had made her to the rest of the world.

“My great-grandad passed away and … I didn’t cry or anything when it happened,” she said.

“It took until I got clean and it all hit me like a ton of bricks.

“It just makes you feel nothing, no emotions.”

Georgia Hanrahan at work at her traineeship . Picture: Kevin Farmer

Thankfully she found supporters in the Sparys, who encouraged her to keep applying for the 2nd Shot traineeship, which is into its ninth cohort of 16 participants and is funded through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.

Mr Spary said Ms Hanrahan was a true success story, and proof the program changed lives.

“She shared her story (Monday) morning to our new trainees, and she’s just an inspiration to them,” he said.

“We’re going to see them have (good) outcomes after, and with Georgia sharing her story, it’s such an inspiration even to me.

“For us, I just love that Georgia is happy and that she’s healthy and housed.”

Ms Hanrahan, who is now completing a Cert III in business and administrations, urged those battling addiction to seek help and support.

“Don’t give up, because I believe most things happen for a reason, like this job,” she said.

“If I had given up on it, I have no idea where I’d be now.

“It does get better if you want it to get better, but you’ve got to be willing to try.”

For more information about the program, head to the website.