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Mental Health
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Mental Health: Music Player
WHY RHYS?
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
Literally a nightmare. I go over it in my head, time and time again. How could an accomplished, charismatic guy like Rhys lose control of his live, and crash and burn? How is it possible that Rhys spent 1/3rd of his life battling mental health issues, someone who had a great childhood, who had a loving family, someone with both the potential and the opportunity to do amazing things? This can’t be – but it is…
Rhys struggled with addiction. And like a moth burned by the light it’s drawn to, Rhys was drawn to mania and the drugs that could get him there. Those drugs slowly took away Rhys’ ability to function, to think clearly, to mount a defense to rehabilitate himself, and eventual those drugs took his life.
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In 2017, Rhys stayed with us on Salt Spring Island for 8 months. We had only one condition – he needed to stay sober. During that time, some clarity returned to Rhys, and he decided to write a Memoir of his life.
I’d like to share a few quotes:
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"I'm writing this book 9 days shy of 4 months and 7 days sober; more sober time than any other time in my life since before I was 15 years old. I turned 26 yesterday. For the past 10 years of my life I have either been high, drinking, drunk, partying, or waiting to get high, drunk, or get partying. I'm an addict."
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"Because of my past drug use and the decisions I've made I need a monthly injection. I currently take 8 pills a night; psychiatric medication I've garnered going through psych wards, treatment centres, doctors, specialists, rehabs, therapeutic farms, counsellors and hospitals... over and over again. This book is not meant to glorify drug use. I want to influence the younger generation to stay sober & reveal why sober living is the best way to live. I also want to reach addicts in recovery who can relate. Most of all I want to reach the 8/10 people who are not addicts and work towards ending the stigma around substance use/ abuse and mental health problems."
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"Would I trade a day of sobriety, time with my parents, time with my sisters, the life I’m building now to go back to active addiction? Hell no!"
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It is a tragedy that Rhys’ sober time didn’t stick. It’s a tragedy that Rhys’ many, many attempts at rehab and sobriety didn’t stick. It wasn’t for a lack of trying – Rhys fought this disease valiantly. It’s a tragedy he couldn’t overcome it…
However, I’ve come to believe this was simply Rhys’ journey, his fate, his karma. And I’ve come to believe that there is nothing anyone could have done to change the outcome.
Having said that, if you are struggling with addiction – then fight, fight with everything you’ve got. Fight this disease. You know it’s destroying you. Seek out help. There are many others who have walked down this lonely path and found a way out. And they want to help you find that path too. You know you can beat this; you know you can learn a new way to live, you know you can regain your life. This doesn’t have to be your journey!
And if you love someone in active addiction, then hold them close, love them, don’t enable the addiction but rather give them every support, every encouragement possible to find sobriety. Seek out help – there are others who have walked in your shoes before you. Lean on them to help you help your loved one. Fight like your loved ones’ life depends on it. Because it does…
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