When he walked through the doors of Renascent’s Paul J. Sullivan Centre last year, Jason was ‘all in.’
Having previously relapsed, this time “I was ready and at the point of no return,” he shares. Homeless for the second time, he was living in a tent and struggling both mentally and physically. “I didn’t feel welcome or safe where I was, and I knew the people around me didn’t have my best interests at heart.
Most importantly, my family had cut off contact with me. Not being able to call my parents … that was the hardest of all. Everything had come to a head.”
While his desire to reconnect with his family was a powerful motivator, however, Jason also notes a key difference in his own mindset this time.
“The first time I attempted treatment, I didn’t want recovery as badly,” he reflects. “I was doing it for other people, but not for myself.
This time, I knew I had to do it for me. And when I arrived, the counsellors noticed that difference in me right away.”
Returning to Renascent “felt like coming home,” he says. “The camaraderie and brotherhood are like nothing I had ever experienced before. The counsellors are absolutely amazing, and they take real responsibility for your recovery. They really try to help you in every possible way to get to the root cause of why you’re in the predicament you’re in.
Before Renascent, I’d overdosed at least 20 times. I am 100% certain that treatment there saved my life.”
In recovery, he’s also been surprised to learn just how much he’s capable of.
“I’m working full-time, and I haven’t missed a month’s rent. My bosses know about my recovery and are so supportive, as is my sponsor. I’m in a relationship, have a puppy, and go to meetings nearly every night.
I talk to my family almost daily. And each day, I learn something new about myself.”
At the top of the list, he says, he’s learned that he’s “a good person. I think about other people. I’m compassionate. The things I’ve done in the past do not define who I am.”
And when reflecting on how far he’s come, Jason wants others struggling with addiction to know “there’s a way out,” he says — “and it is community, family, and treatment. You can do it, but you absolutely cannot do it alone.
You’ve just got to show up for yourself.”
