From meth to mentor - SHANNAN'S ROAD TO RECOVERY

Clean for seven years, the mum of two is helping others fight their addictions

Shannan Hill's life is a story of redemption. Once a drug addict with dozens of convictions, there were many dark days of addiction, violence, crime and turmoil. But in the battle of her life, Shannan has fought her demons to find sobriety, academic success and win back her family.

Now a full-time drug and alcohol counsellor, Shannan has almost completed a Bachelor of Social Health and Wellbeing degree. She has also received an award recognising her outstanding contribution to addiction recovery – all while caring for and running a household of three adults, and up to eight children and grandchildren.

Sharing her life story with the Weekly, Shannan is matter-of-fact, explaining she was once a confident and bubbly child. However, all that changed with a series of traumatic events at age six when her beloved grandfather died. Not long afterward, she was sexually abused.

“That was when I started to not feel safe in the world,” recalls Shannan, now 37. She had her first taste of alcohol at 11 and got blackout drunk.

“When I was 13, I got put into a naughty girls’ home for four months. I developed this real anger towards the world. It wasn’t true, but I felt like no one wanted me.”

Aged 18, a boyfriend introduced her to methamphetamine and Shannan was quickly hooked. “Between meth and alcohol, I thought I had found the solution to life.”

Instead, a desperate battle with addiction followed. With each of her