"My time at the Edward Myers Unit"

I thought Edward Myers Unit was fantastically run, with supportive staff and patient confidentiality. I went in after hospital (cirrhosis of liver and oesophagus banding) and I feel, had I not gone in I would have started drinking again. I was on different morphines at different times of the day and EMU put the dose together as one 24hr dose. They also checked my bloods and aligned my other medications so I could keep them under control myself. I also learnt a lot about my addiction (I have now been home and "dry" for 4 weeks and am starting a college course in mental health). My life has been improved a lot from EMU and I can't thank them enough. I would be very interested in fund raising for the service.

The only change I would make is the 2 beds being used by A&E patients - I think it is a conflict of interest when drunken people are in the unit.

I went from being unable to interact very well to being a part of a group where I expressed my feelings. I think there should be more funding for EMU to help people before they get to a serious stage of illness. All of the staff knew me and my problems/physical illness, and this was catered for very well. The food was of a good standard compared to the general hospital (which the food was so poor a lot of patients including myself were not eating).

Everyone at EMU was friendly and approachable and I was escorted to a medical procedure by a member of staff (Sarah) and she was fantastic. I was very apprehensive of going because of past problems but Sarah stayed with me and treated me as a normal person and not an addict. On the general hospital I felt like "a number" and not a person, EMU changed all that.

Again I can not thank the service enough for changing my life for the the better and I feel very privileged to have been at EMU for 2 weeks that helped me to choose a better life.