Village of Hope Stories – Adrien

My name is Adrien and I’ve been an addict for 5 years. 5 years wasted, 5 years of feeling lost, and hopeless. I’m 18 now and I’m so glad I got the help I needed and took control of my life. I was high 24/7 and getting nothing done. I couldn’t hold a job for over 4 months and quite honestly was only working to feed my addictions. I’ve always known I needed help, just never had the guts to put it into action, but when I needed to switch to dabs I knew, or when it was either get help or be homeless. I’m so glad I did.

I’ve learnt so much from DSYTC, I’m a different person than I was 3 months ago. I want to have a good life now because I know I deserve it, I want change. This program has taught me so many tips and tricks, not just for addiction but for mental health as well. The environment here makes it so easy to learn and to understand what’s needed to battle addiction, from the groups, the pro-socials and being able to express your problems and who you are without judgment. I’ve rediscovered a part of myself that I thought was lost and never coming back. And I’ve worked through so many problems I never wanted to bring to light with my therapist. The staff here are incredible, they’re so involved with helping you succeed and just being there to talk about whatever, whenever. The schedule was difficult to get used to, I didn’t enjoy the early wake-up times at first, but having a rigid schedule makes treatment a lot easier.

DSYTC has also helped me come a lot closer to completing my high school diploma (something I never thought I could do). Thanks to the amazing teacher here, the one-on-one help and learning made it easy to complete 3 credits here plus the 2 you get for staying 3 months.

The person I was before here was lazy and inconsiderate. I did not care what happened to me or where I was going in life, now I do. My mindset has drastically changed for the better along with my confidence and mental health. Moving forward from here is scary but I could not be more ready. I can see a good future now, I have a job lined up and I’m excited to work for once, and to save money. I’m going to be a part of my family again, I’m going to enjoy doing activities again, ones I rediscovered here.

I recommend this program to any youth struggling with addiction to give this place a shot because your success and your future are worth it. The 3 months of discomfort is nothing compared to the bright future ahead of you. You are worth it.

Adrien is a client of the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre.