We are sharing the testimony of the mother of an adolescent who participated in the adolescent and young adult program in Saint-Malachie. Here, she writes a message of gratitude to Chantal, counsellor of our family support services. “Hi Chantal, I’m taking a moment tonight to write to you — a suspended moment between memory… Read more »
“When I arrived at Portage, I had no idea I would be so well supported by the staff at the CDJ (Quebec Day Centre). The counsellors saw potential in me that I was unable to see myself and believed in my recovery even before I dared to believe in it. Post-care follow-up allows me to… Read more »
I attended the aftercare program assiduously and still go every two weeks. Due to my age, my sobriety and the fact that I’m retired, my social circle has become much smaller than it used to be. Short-term After transitioning from therapy to aftercare, I felt exhausted and extremely fragile. I often wondered if I… Read more »
Testimonial of parent at a family support group – Cassidy Lake Note: They have chosen not to have their names attached Our son, 19 at the time, was struggling with addiction, which we were not aware of. We thought it was just weekend drinking with friends, but it was more than that. He was… Read more »
My name is Masha. I’m 21 years old and I’m a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. This is my story. As a child, I was full of life, always cheerful, active, sociable and so much more. I always had a lot of friends throughout grade school. I was into soccer, gymnastics, dancing and cheerleading. I… Read more »
I can honestly say that Portage completely changed my life… Nothing was ever just black or white for me while I was there, but one thing’s for sure: I am not the same person I was when I first entered Portage. I went from being a boy who would use any substance he could find,… Read more »
Living in a supervised apartment at HCP1 (Habitations Communautaires Portage) was above all an important part of proving to youth protection authorities that I could be trusted with full custody of my two children. Had I not been approved for a supervised apartment, I would likely not have earned the same level of trust and… Read more »
My name is Mathis. I’m 22 years old and I’m a recovering addict**. My mother wasn’t there for part of my childhood because of her substance use. Her absence and my need for maternal love led me to always seek out love and attention. When I was eleven years old, I started using to be… Read more »
After our son overdosed, we knew he needed help — and fast — only we had no idea how to get it. We felt like we were flailing and spiraling all at the same time, so we did what most lost people do: we took to Google. Turns out, we’ve never been so thankful for… Read more »
My name is Geneviève. I’m 51 years old and I’m a former addict and alcoholic*. On May 21, 2023, I decided to take back control of my life. I started by attending the Portage Day Centre, until June 2023, where I met other people who, like me, were struggling with difficult circumstances. On June 6,… Read more »
