Ime (40) helps the formerly addicted Yvonne and this has brought him in the right direction himself
."I wasn't quite comfortable in my job and was looking for something else to do when, as a donor to De Regenboog Groep, I was invited to an Amsterdam Underground city walk, where formerly homeless people talk about their rough life on the streets. That was great and after that I immediately decided to become a volunteer. It's nice to feel what's happening in the city and I love working with people.
An accident ...
And something else happened: I had a serious bicycle accident. This turned everything upside down. I could no longer do my job properly and had to move out. To start over. To keep going and get closer to my desired field of work, I started doing more volunteer work. First at the Z! Newspaper and walk-in centre De Kloof. And now I have been buddy to former addict Yvonne for a while. Although she is not an easy aunt, I get a lot back from her and have become really fond of her. She struggles with her addiction and has it fairly under control. That it slips is always lurking. Sometimes things take a turn for the worse, but self-reflection and the discipline to call in Jellinek is something she has.
The Room
"Yvonne thinks her house is very important. She keeps it clean, but also runs into things. For example, she slept on the couch because her bed was full of clothes. This again was because the closet was in the wrong room. And this again because the room had yet to be painted. There had been a big pot of paint there for a long time, given to her by her dear upstairs neighbor, but the beginning was difficult for her. I then biked by the Gamma after work to buy some stuff and said, "See what you do, I'm going to start working on the room!". Then we taped things together, but didn't get around to the actual painting. I thought maybe it was a useless exercise. But when I came back the following week, she had painted the room super neat, in two coats, which is nice!"
Let's go!
Turning the switch didn't work for me before, but after my accident, De Regenboog gave me a push in the right direction. I am now an activity counselor at a psychiatric clinic in Southeast. "I live more by feel now, doing work I like in a place that feels right. And I live more in the moment, am less concerned with the big picture. It's just, 'Let's go!"
Text: Sander Kersten and Jola Gosen | Image: Tessa Posthuma de Boer
Do as Ime. Become a coach.