Con
Con started using drugs when he was 13 years old. His drug of choice was Methamphetamine (Ice) and he generally combined its use with Xanax and marijuana.
Con’s mother constantly tried to get him to see counsellors and psychologists as the effects of a drug-addicted lifestyle were taking a toll on his whole family. He did go into youth detox 4 times before he turned 18 years old but would leave and always fall back into the same old behaviours.
After he turned 17 years old, Con attempted to curb his criminal activity to avoid going to prison, which was the inevitable next step for him. He started a landscaping apprenticeship but as his drug use continued to escalate, he became unemployable and was living a completely chaotic lifestyle. Being arrested by the police became a common occurrence at this point. At its peak, Con was using hundreds of dollars’ worth of Ice a day.
“I was lonely. Every time I’d get on – I didn’t’ want to use but I had to. I had no direction and I hated myself. I idealised killing myself every day. I’d had enough”.
Con was 21 years old when he went into the Windana Youth Community House (WYCH) early in 2014. Having attempted to get off drugs many times before, he knows that he needed to do something different than what he’d done before. Con decided to go to the Windana Therapeutic Community (TC) for long-term rehabilitation.
In the beginning, Con questioned his decision to go to the TC, but it wasn’t long before he recognised what was on offer if he stayed and completed the program.
“The best thing about the TC was building my self-esteem through communication and taking responsibility. I feel confident. I don’t have to use drugs to get through the day anymore”.
Con’s peers in the Community describe him as inspiring and share that he is a role model. Con has very recently moved to the Integration House, which is a semi-independent living program managed through Windana. It is a community where people can implement all that they have learned at the TC while re-engaging with society.
Con initially wanted to complete his landscaping apprenticeship, but after his rehab experience, he wants to study and “get educated”. Con returns to the TC twice a week where he continue to provide inspiration to new residents through co-facilitating groups; this in turn reinforces his learning.
“The best thing was building my self-esteem…” *Name has been changed.