Three men share their stories of overcoming addiction
By Joan Janzen
Three men came to Kindersley on April 30th to share three different stories about overcoming addiction. All three are enrolled in a 12-month program at Teen Challenge, a Saskatchewan addictions treatment centre. Teen Challenge accepts men 18 years and older because addictions can and do begin at various stages in life.
All three men were wearing suits, which had never been their customary attire. “This is the third time I’ve worn a suit in my life. The first was at my wedding, at a funeral, and today,” one of the men admitted.
These three men come from locations throughout Canada, and are all currently enrolled at Teen Challenge men’s addiction centre near Saskatoon. They shared their success stories at Kindersley on April 30th. Photo by Jason Janzen
Randy, the director of the centre, said those who have experienced trauma as a child are 46 times more likely to have an addiction. This was evident as James told his story.
“My dad was abusive and I was so scared as a kid growing up. I got into drugs and alcohol at age 12. I ended up in jail. At age 16, I fought my dad. He broke my nose and dislocated my jaw. After that, I was defeated. Two weeks later, a friend overdosed, and I tried to commit suicide, unsuccessfully,” he said, explaining how his story began.
One of the other men shared his story of having a wife and young family and discovering his wife was having an affair. “I balanced being a good dad for a week and partying for a week,” he said. “It was then that I was introduced to cocaine, and it started a downward spiral. I lost my business, home and vehicles.”
The director of Teen Challenge noted that people of all ages and walks of life can get addicted. He shared his story of celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary and his wife leaving him three months later. He said it felt more like a death than a divorce.
“I never tried drugs, but when I did, it took away all the pain and heartache. Little did I know it was cocaine. Over the next two years, the drug ruined my life. I’d go ten days and not sleep at all. I lost my job; electricity got cut off. I went in and out of programs, lost my home, career, was living on the streets, going to food banks,” he explained.
John described addiction as follows: “I was in and out of the psychiatric ward four times. What a horrible cycle this was. It was the definition of slavery, and I was a victim of it.”
All the men have individual stories and shared their stories of freedom from addiction after enrolling in Teen Challenge. James said, “I applied for Teen Challenge, and when my blood drug test came back negative, I was able to get in. There I found out what it’s like to have a father (God) who really loves me. It saved my life; it restored relationships; it gave me a purpose and hope and direction,” he shared. “I’ve been to treatment centres before and know Teen Challenge works.” He said he hadn’t seen his kids for years, and now they’re proud of him.
The men are taken through different phases of treatment. The first step is induction, getting sober and physically healthy. Secondly, they undergo training, discover their true identity and are introduced to faith in Christ. In the third phase, they prepare to reconnect with family and prepare a plan of where to work and live.
Cory has just begun to share his story in public. He said, “A friend who saw me at my worst, who fed me numerous times on the street, heard me share my story.” She told Cory he was a miracle of hope.
The director agreed, saying just eight months ago, Cory looked like he was at death’s doorstep and weighed only 103 pounds. Now he has a life he never thought he’d have.
The director of the centre said, these guys don’t just come here and get clean; they go on to help others change their lives. Over the many decades of the existence of Teen Challenge centres, statistics show that the ones who graduate have a 75 to 85 percent success rate of never going back to addictions.