02 March 2026
Chloe McGurk decided to learn something new every month when she got sober.
It started as a way to keep herself going. Something to be proud of. Something to fill the days and distract from what was going on in her head.
She didn't expect it to change her life.
"I learned Spanish in the early months and I've been hooked ever since. It's a passion I never would have found if I didn't get sober."
Now aged 24, and 28 months into recovery, Chloe hopes to build a career around the Spanish she's learned. She's also performed in her local panto and started her own craft business.
I wouldn't have been able to do this if I wasn't sober and if it wasn’t for the people at WithYou.
Growing up, Chloe found it hard to connect with people her own age. She had severe social anxiety and often felt like she didn't fit in. She didn't know it then, but she was neurodivergent, something she wouldn't fully understand until years later.
When she was introduced to alcohol and drugs as a teenager, everything seemed to change.
"Nobody cared if I was weird. They all thought I was funny. I thought, this is it, I'm going to have so many friends."
But the people around her weren't all friends. And by the time she realised it, she was already dependent.
What followed was years of turmoil. Hospitalisations. Police involvement. Debt. People at her door. Her mum and dad stepping in to help. A stay in an intensive care unit after being resuscitated in 2021.
"I knew something was wrong, but I didn't understand what was happening. I didn't know what was going on in my head."
During a stay at a specialist hospital unit, Chloe finally got some answers. She was diagnosed with autism, ADHD and BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder).
Suddenly things made sense. But she thought that meant she was fixed.
She lasted three months before she started drinking again. Then came the drugs.
"I thought going gently back into it was fine. I didn't realise I was hitting fast forward and it would go right back to where I was."
Another overdose. And then, something shifted.
The next Tuesday, she walked into the WithYou MAP (Mutual Aid Partnership) group in Galashiels.
"I was absolutely terrified,” Chloe recalls. “I had my fidget toys in my pocket. I hardly said a word."
Group settings had never worked for Chloe. She'd tried as a child and found the social side overwhelming. Even after stopping using, the isolation and social anxiety had crawled back in.
But the MAP group was different.
"It's structured but not strict,” Chloe explains. “If I feel overwhelmed, I can say to my recovery worker James, 'I need five minutes.' He'll open the door and that's fine. At other group meetings I’ve been to, there's no chance I could do that."
James Nichol, Chloe's recovery worker, is neurodivergent himself. He's helped her understand the link between ADHD and her relationship with substances.
"He gets me. He sees the face I make before I'm about to melt down. And he knows what to do. He'll either offer a one-to-one the next week or speak to me after the group. I always feel like I've got security."
For Chloe, that consistency matters. She grew up feeling isolated, not by choice, and always wanted to feel like she belonged somewhere. WithYou gave her that.
"Everybody here is so kind. If James wasn't here and I was struggling, I could come to the door and literally anyone would be like, 'Are you okay? Do you need something?' I've never felt alone since I started coming."
The group has given her something else too: real friends.
"Not people using me. People who genuinely care. It's a nice vibe we've got in that room."
Recovery hasn't been easy. Chloe describes stopping using drugs as a kind of grief.
"It feels like a person who's passed away. A horrible grief, even though I know it's good for me."
But she's learned how to manage it. Learning new skills every month helps. So do the 3Ds that James taught her: delay, distract, decide.
Since getting sober, Chloe has discovered things about herself she never knew. She landed a role as the prince in her local panto in Galashiels at Christmas. She'd never auditioned for anything like this before.
"I have this motto: be brave or be crap. I went completely out of my comfort zone. And I got my first ever Proper duet on stage."
She's started a small craft business too, with plans to run workshops for people in recovery or with neurodivergence.
"I want to help people learn skills to find a purpose. Whether it's early recovery or later on. Something to keep you going."
When people approach her now for advice, she always tells them the same thing.
"Reaching out is the first step. Even if it's just one person that knows, that helps. And I always tell them about WithYou. I tell them you don't have to wait for a doctor. You can just refer yourself. You don't have to admit it to anyone else first."
After 28 months of recovery, Chloe knows how far she's come.
I never thought I could get help. Now I'm proud of myself sober. And I know I can do things I never imagined.
If you or someone you know needs support with drugs or alcohol, the WithYou team in the Borders are here to help. Find out more about our free, confidential support at www.wearewithyou.org.uk/local-hubs/scottish-borders.