Rebuilding

How I Fell into Addiction, Overcame It, and Rebuilt My Life

Roughly fourteen years ago, I was a pretty normal teen who loved to party and drink.

One night, my friends and I were out when someone got the idea to drive out to Comox on Vancouver Island. It was a rainy night, but we didn’t give it a second thought.

We should have.

During our ride, the car, with us inside, hydroplaned and crashed into a telephone pole.

The brain injury I sustained from the accident was so severe that I was in a coma for a few weeks. When I finally woke up, my life had changed entirely.

The first days were a nightmare; I had double vision, a massive headache, and a giant scar on my face. I forgot how to walk, and my hair was still in huge knots with blood and glass.

The doctors didn’t even believe I would survive. And if I did, they were certain I wouldn’t have much cognitive function.

But I did survive. In fact, I recovered most of my mental abilities despite those predictions.

At the same time, all four lobes in my brain were severely impacted. I grew insecure about my intelligence, which shattered my self-esteem. My grades got substantially worse, and I had horrible headaches. I began to hate myself and my brain.

That’s when I fell heavily into using substances – to create a world I could control and feel more powerful. I had mostly given up, and my life got pretty dark for a while.

I hit rock bottom in 2015.

After not showing up at work, not answering my phone, and my boss calling the police to do wellness checks on me, my mom came to my apartment and told me it was time to go to rehab.

I was so ready to go.

My recovery began at Cedars.

I remember Cedars being such a beautiful place, tucked away in the woods overflowing with nature. The counsellors understood my brain injury and helped me dig deep. I felt respected and heard.

With the support I got, I was eventually able to start rebuilding my life. But I still struggled with accepting my injury. One of the turning points for me was a conversation I had with my counsellor. At the time, I was overstretching myself, and so she asked me if I had looked for disability support from the university I was attending. “No, I don’t want to be treated differently,” I said.

She laughed and said: “But you are different.”

That’s when it clicked for me.

When I stopped fighting my injury, my life changed dramatically.

I started being honest with myself and my support network about how I’m doing and learned to love myself for who I am. There is so much freedom and peace with it.

Today, I’m thriving. I recently started my own business, Recovery Coaching with Rose Chant, to help others who are suffering from addiction lead a fulfilling life – something I’m incredibly passionate about. I have a loving family who supports me in all I do.

Cedars was the place where I took my first steps into my new life. I will always be grateful to the councellors who helped me piece my life together.