Village of Hope Stories – Imran

Being told I needed to go to treatment was one of the most difficult things to come to terms with. Coming into DSYTC I was very close minded and had no intentions to change my behavior once I got out. The lifestyle I was living at home was not maintainable. I was using substances almost every day and using them at school. This caused my grades to decline which was followed by arguments with my parents. The substance use at school got to a point that my school had to take action and give me an ultimatum: “Either seek treatment or be expelled from school.”

The first few weeks of treatment was probably one of the hardest, I felt very isolated and alone. I was very lucky to have come in with a great group of guys who were very welcoming and accepting. I remember on the first day one of the clients came up to me and introduced himself and shook my hand. I don’t think that client realized how much of an effect that one small act of kindness had on me, that moment I realized that it was going to be okay. After I started to settle into the new environment I began to open up and embrace the treatment programming. Being at DSYTC you can either reject the help and services they have here or take advantage of all the great positives of the program.

The schooling here has helped me significantly, having a great teacher like Shana made all the difference and really motivated me to get things done. With the help from Shana to complete a school credit and gaining two Dave Smith credits I feel prepared to go back to school when I return home. Programming here such as group therapy was a foreign concept to me at first, and I wasn’t open to sharing personal details with people I had just met. As I warmed up to the idea of group therapy, I started to realize that there is good and helpful information being taught. A lot of the skills I learned during group I utilized when dealing with conflict in the house, and when I got to go home for the holidays.

Although sometimes we covered difficult topics that were sometimes uncomfortable to discuss, it almost always triggered insightful and good conversation amongst the clients and staff. The staff members here have been so incredibly helpful and patient with me, I have so much respect for each and every one of them. A lot of the times I felt very different from the guys in here, and don’t share similar interests and hobbies. The staff relieved the feeling of loneliness and isolation and made my stay at Dave Smith a lot easier, and I will always be thankful for their kindness. As crazy as it is to say that I have completed three months of treatment that I dreaded at first, I will for sure take the things that I have learned home with me. The skills I will apply to my life moving forward will be the social skills I learned, how to cope with difficult situations, and refusal skills. Thank you DSYTC.

Imran is a proud graduate of the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre.