For James McCabe, recovery is about much more than leaving drugs and alcohol behind.
It’s about family, connection and feeling that he belongs.
Today, James can sit around the table with his family and feel part of something he spent years struggling to connect with. Looking back, he can see that the love and support around him had always been there. What changed was how he felt about himself.
Recovery helped him understand why he had struggled to feel accepted and gave him the chance to build stronger relationships with the people closest to him.
“I can sit at the table at a family gathering and feel like I belong after years of feeling like I don’t belong in a family full of love,” he said.
“The love and belonging were never missing. I just couldn’t connect to it due to how I felt about myself.”
One of the biggest changes in James’ life came 14 months ago when he became a father.
Being fully present in his son’s life is something he treasures. Becoming a father has been one of the most important moments in his recovery journey.
“Recovery has given me a baby 14 months ago and the ability to be present in that experience has been the best high I’ve ever had,” he explained.
Watching his family welcome his son has also helped strengthen relationships that once felt difficult to navigate.
He added: “Seeing the same family who I never felt a part of fall in love with him has been the most powerful thing in the repairing of that relationship with my parents and siblings.”
James now draws on his own experiences to support others in recovery. He understands that sometimes people need encouragement to take the next step, while at other times they need the space to work things through for themselves.
He also believes it has an important place alongside professional and clinical expertise. For James, the most valuable lessons he learned were often the ones he discovered for himself, supported by peers and professionals along the way.
That belief inspired him to build a career in recovery services.
From the beginning of his own recovery journey, he found motivation in seeing people start to think differently about themselves and their future. That remains one of the things he enjoys most about the role today.
The moments that make James proud are often the ones that happen quietly. Seeing people move into volunteering, education or employment. Watching confidence grow. Seeing trust rebuilt.
But the changes that mean the most are often the ones that happen at home.
He sees people reconnect with their families, rebuild relationships with their children and grandchildren, and gain the freedom to be the parents, grandparents, partners and friends they want to be.
Those are the moments that make him most proud. Seeing people build the lives they want and reconnect with the people who matter most.
