The Cellar

It just took the pain away and took the edge off 113 00:26:13,207 --> 00:26:14,275 life, really. 114 00:26:18,079 --> 00:26:20,515 The last few years were destructive in many ways 115 00:26:20,614 --> 00:26:22,016 and caused a lot of harm. 116 00:26:25,152 --> 00:26:27,488 I still wasn't ready to accept that I had a problem 117 00:26:28,322 --> 00:26:30,724 because I was so scared of it being taken away, 118 00:26:32,527 --> 00:26:34,161 even though it was affecting me so badly. 119 00:26:39,633 --> 00:26:41,602 I ended up overdosing and in hospital 120 00:26:41,702 --> 00:26:43,370 and not knowing what happened. 121 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,909 I was so scared when I saw the fear in my parents' face 122 00:26:50,611 --> 00:26:52,413 and I saw how much harm I was causing 123 00:26:52,514 --> 00:26:53,914 to the people I cared about the most. 124 00:26:57,318 --> 00:26:59,820 I knew I had a serious problem and I had to get help. 125 00:27:06,393 --> 00:27:07,596 So once I'd admitted it 126 00:27:07,695 --> 00:27:09,196 and I'd spoken to somebody 127 00:27:09,296 --> 00:27:10,431 and shared what I've been going through, 128 00:27:10,532 --> 00:27:12,133 what I've been dealing with. 129 00:27:14,468 --> 00:27:16,403 That was the best feeling I'd had in a long time. 130 00:27:18,607 --> 00:27:19,574 That feeling of being heard 131 00:27:19,673 --> 00:27:21,275 and being seen for the first time, 132 00:27:22,443 --> 00:27:26,013 that was the first true feeling I'd had in such a long time. 133 00:27:31,719 --> 00:27:33,420 So that started my recovery 134 00:27:34,155 --> 00:27:35,756 and learning about this addiction 135 00:27:38,759 --> 00:27:40,995 'cause I knew it was causing problems in my life, 136 00:27:41,095 --> 00:27:43,931 but I didn't know, I didn't see it as an addiction. 137 00:27:48,603 --> 00:27:51,972 That may sound naive, but once I started learning about 138 00:27:52,072 --> 00:27:56,243 addiction, that started my road to recovery. 139 01:00:52,386 --> 01:00:56,257 Darren, how would you feel about sharing your story? 140 01:00:57,592 --> 01:00:58,893 Uh, yeah, sure. 141 01:01:02,229 --> 01:01:03,931 Uh, hi, I'm Darren. 142 01:01:04,331 --> 01:01:05,966 I'm an addict and alcoholic. 143 01:01:07,501 --> 01:01:08,537 Uh. 144 01:01:09,136 --> 01:01:12,439 I haven't taken anything for three years, 145 01:01:13,642 --> 01:01:15,242 but I'm, I'm struggling at the moment 146 01:01:15,342 --> 01:01:18,812 and I came here today to spend some time with people who... 147 01:01:20,181 --> 01:01:22,349 know what I'm going through and, um... 148 01:01:24,218 --> 01:01:28,455 uh, to people out there who might be contemplating 149 01:01:28,889 --> 01:01:31,458 getting help, just take it. 150 01:01:32,594 --> 01:01:33,460 You will never regret it. 151 01:01:34,695 --> 01:01:36,598 It's the reason I'm still alive today. 152 01:01:37,131 --> 01:01:39,300 Uh. Just over three years ago, 153 01:01:40,334 --> 01:01:44,371 I, uh, was in a really dark place taking copious amounts of 154 01:01:44,471 --> 01:01:48,475 drugs and alcohol and one day I was found on my kitchen floor. 155 01:01:50,579 --> 01:01:52,146 I was rushed to hospital 156 01:01:52,947 --> 01:01:55,883 and my heart stopped for 35 seconds, 157 01:01:57,552 --> 01:01:59,253 legally dead, they said. 158 01:02:00,387 --> 01:02:04,959 Uh, but if it wasn't for... the doctors 159 01:02:05,059 --> 01:02:07,394 and especially a nurse called Natalia, 160 01:02:08,597 --> 01:02:10,864 uh, I wouldn't be here today. 161 01:02:11,566 --> 01:02:16,605 I asked her for help and she pretty much saved my life. 162 01:02:17,606 --> 01:02:21,275 We still talk, I uh, speak to her once or twice a month. 163 01:02:22,076 --> 01:02:25,312 Uh, found out a couple weeks ago she uh, she bought a little 164 01:02:25,412 --> 01:02:31,720 puppy and uh, she-- She called it Darren, which is uh, kind 165 01:02:31,819 --> 01:02:34,522 of funny but heartwarming at the same time. 166 01:02:36,223 --> 01:02:40,761 But um, speaking to her kind of reminds me that um, you know, 167 01:02:40,861 --> 01:02:42,329 you're never on your own. 168 01:02:42,429 --> 01:02:45,466 There are people out there if you want help, you know, 169 01:02:45,567 --> 01:02:49,671 there are people that have been through what you're going 170 01:02:49,770 --> 01:02:52,641 through and have... on the other side. 171 01:02:53,508 --> 01:02:56,110 We never know when those dark days are gonna come. 172 01:02:57,077 --> 01:03:00,281 You know, sadly, they will visit us again at some point, 173 01:03:00,381 --> 01:03:02,283 but there's people out there to help you 174 01:03:03,117 --> 01:03:06,020 and those dark days are the toughest. They're the hardest. 175 01:03:07,488 --> 01:03:10,791 And uh,