The eldest son of a soldier who was often called away on duty, Dave was entrusted with the care of his family and became the “man of the house” at a very young age. Feeling very pressured by this responsibility, he started taking drugs in sixth grade and soon plunged into the inferno of drug addiction. Instead of taking care of his family, he spread terror around himself with his impulsiveness, his violence and his destructive behaviour.
When he was 18, Dave checked into Portage, where he completed a four-month course of therapy, punctuated by low and high points. He then went on to live drug-free for five years, during which he went back to school, found a job and started a family.
When his relationship began to waver, he started taking drugs again. After a difficult separation, it took his ex-wife’s threat to prevent him from seeing his son again for Dave to get back on track. Determined to see his son grow up, he vowed to the judge in charge of the custody file that he would stop taking drugs and regain control of his life. That’s when he made his way back to Portage to get help.
After three and a half months of therapy, Dave went back to work and to his apartment. But most of all, Dave’s victory over addiction gave him back the greatest of rewards, the shared custody of his son.
