From the Abyss to the Light: My Journey at Portage

I’d like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the guidance and support I received during my drug rehab therapy at the Portage program for mental health and addiction. It was not an easy journey, but thanks to the program and the staff’s guidance, patience and knowledge of mental health issues, I was able to face my challenges with a new outlook and renewed strength.

Therapy helped me feel safe and understood, providing an environment that was conducive to healing and change. The strategies and tools I learned about during therapy have become the cornerstones of my daily life and have helped me face difficult moments with greater resiliency.

I am especially thankful for those times that Portage helped me push back my limits by entrusting me with various tasks, which allowed me to identify and process aspects of my life and behaviour that I had previously ignored or minimized. These realizations played a key role in my recovery and personal development.

I now look to the future with optimism. I am living in a supervised apartment with my brothers-in-therapy. We support and help each other, and together, we move forward. I’ve rebuilt my relationships with my family and, twice a week, I attend aftercare groups that help me stay focused on my goals. I am currently in training to become a stage technician.

Thank you, Portage.

Sébastien, Mental Health and Addiction Program, 2024