Reconnecting with life

The old adage “a dog is man’s best friend” rings true for Perth man Daniel*. After a lifetime of drug and alcohol abuse, the 54-year-old decided to turn over a new leaf, with best mate, dog Rocky, by his side.

When Daniel’s poverty-stricken parents put him in a boy’s home at the age of 10, the sensitive child was heartbroken. He gradually lost contact with his family and spent his adolescence being marched from one institution to another.

Growing up without the loving support of his own family, Daniel’s mental and emotional needs were overlooked. He developed serious behavioural problems that his numerous carers weren’t able to deal with.

By the time he was a young adult, alcohol and drugs became both an escape and a trap for Daniel. He created a pattern of being in and out of jail as his addictions took hold.

Daniel had become a broken man. He had spent his adult life trying to undo the injustices of his childhood, walking a lonely and self-destructive path. His loyal companion, Rocky, was the only thing Daniel could count on. Daniel was shocked when a doctor told him that if he continued with his heavy drinking and harmful lifestyle, he would not see his sixtieth birthday.

So when Daniel was referred to Mission Australia’s South-East Metro Community Drug Service in the Perth suburb of Cannington, he was determined to change his life. This service offers counselling to families and individuals with drug and alcohol problems.

It uses the philosophy that people battling addiction already have the solution to their problems, but simply need some guidance to draw out these answers – and assistance to develop a healthy lifestyle.

With the principle of ‘helping people help themselves’, Daniel’s counsellor, Lucy, helped him set some goals for his transformation. Daniel had realised that he was living a life cut-off from society, so one of his main goals was to learn to live connected to the people around him.

For Daniel, this meant learning to drive, so that he could have a social life and develop friendships.

Now, after 12 months of Mission Australia’s support, Daniel has reached a complete state of abstinence from alcohol and he and Rocky are enjoying making new friends. For the first time in his life, he has begun to save money. In August this year, Daniel was ecstatic to tell Lucy that he successfully passed his driving test.

“Daniel has been through so much in his life and yet he has not lost the kindness of his soul,” shares a proud Lucy. “His greatest love in life is Rocky. He has not looked back once since he began his journey. I feel honoured to have worked with Daniel.”

* Name and image have been changed to protect the identity of the people we help