🛣️I grew up in a small town in Ontario and had a fairly normal childhood.
🏒I enjoyed playing hockey, baseball, and skateboarding during my teenage years.
💔I experienced a difficult relationship with my parents, which led to struggles in my teenage years.
🔥I had my first interaction with substances in grade six, starting with smoking cigarettes.
💊After my father's passing, I turned to opioids to cope with my emotions and mask my struggles.
How did your father's illness affect you?
—I became his caregiver and witnessed his struggles with Huntington's disease, which deeply impacted me emotionally.
When did you start using opioids?
—I started using opioids shortly before my father's passing as a way to cope with my stress and emotional pain.
Did you notice a link between marijuana use and opioids?
—I didn't see a direct connection between marijuana use and my eventual addiction to opioids.
What was the hardest moment for you?
—The hardest moment was finding my father attempting to take his own life and realizing the severity of his condition.
How did you start your path to recovery?
—After years of struggling with addiction, I finally sought help and entered a recovery program to regain control of my life.
00:00Introduction to my journey through addiction and recovery.
02:30Growing up in a small town in Ontario and enjoying a fairly normal childhood.
10:00First interaction with substances, starting with smoking cigarettes.
20:30Struggles in my teenage years and the impact of my difficult relationship with my parents.
30:45Becoming my father's caregiver and witnessing the impact of his illness on his mental health.
45:20Turning to opioids as a way to cope with my emotions and mask my struggles.
55:10The hardest moment: finding my father attempting to take his own life.
01:10:15Starting my path to recovery and seeking help to regain control of my life.
