Addictions & Rehabilitation

ADDICTIONS & REHABILITATION Dreams for the future

Growing up in the Bahamas, Frank was living in paradise. He was a star athlete and a top-ranked swimmer with dreams of becoming a police officer. As a young adult, he was diagnosed with narcolepsy; a chronic sleep disorder that severely disrupted his daily life. Those who suffer from narcolepsy can be overwhelmed with drowsiness during the day and endure sudden attacks of sleep. This disorder limits the number of job opportunities for him and is something he will have to continue to adjust to and endure forever.

Frank battled with drug addiction as a ‘closet-user’ his entire life and explained how much he hated it, “every time I used, it would take me two-to-three days to recover.” He tried to stop but something always triggered him. When Frank found himself with an eviction notice and no place to go within his budget, he knew he needed to stop this behaviour. That’s when he called The Salvation Army Victoria Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) for help; spoke with Troy, a caseworker, and started his journey to recovery.

Even before arriving in Victoria, no matter what point he was in his life, Frank always wanted to give back. And found he could by becoming a drug and alcohol counsellor. This is where he met his wife, a Canadian. Together they moved to London, Ontario before settling in Calgary, Alberta. Frank was then 12 years clean and found a job with The Salvation Army working night shifts at the Booth Centre. Unfortunately, a very difficult divorce left him devastated, “I was a wreck for six months,” he says. A friend suggested he get a change of scenery and move to Sidney on Vancouver Island, where unfortunately Frank relapsed.

Frank later moved into the Victoria ARC and started rehabilitation programs where he was given tools to help with his addiction. Like it was yesterday, he remembers his first meal at the ARC kitchen, a place he now volunteers at. “I learned over the years that by helping others you help yourself.”

Today, Frank is going onto 10 months clean and is looking forward to reaching one year sober when he will start to look for a place of his own. He has a part-time job cleaning downtown Victoria, where in one day he can see up to 60 needles. Thankfully, those needles are only a reminder of the past, and no longer are a trigger. He is extremely grateful and thankful for The Salvation Army, “rest assured that you’re giving your money to a trustworthy organization, I’ve seen firsthand... the hope I now have helps me believe that I can overcome anything, whatever the circumstance.”