Trent’s Story of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery

“Life is still life, and I would be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows. I have good days and bad days, but I now have a daily program that helps me manage feelings and situations without the use of drugs.”

Trent is 33 years old. He recently celebrated 1 year clean and sober after completing a 28-day detox at Hader Clinic Queensland. This is his story of recovery from alcohol and cannabis addiction.

I had a normal childhood. We lived in a rural NSW town. I was the youngest of 3 with 2 older sisters. I went to a good school. I enjoyed sport and I excelled at it. My dad was the principal of the school, so I felt like I needed to try harder than others to fit in and I was a people pleaser. The overwhelming need to be liked meant I didn’t really know who I was or what I liked to do. I was a chameleon. I liked whatever the crowd I was in liked so I could fit in.

As a teenager, I drank a bit at parties. Nothing too serious, it was what everyone else was doing and didn’t cause too much trouble for me. When I finished high school, I moved to London for 2 years. I worked in the hospitality industry. I worked in nightclubs. It was a lifestyle. The culture was to party all night and sleep all day. I enjoyed my time overseas. I experienced a lot and travelled around Europe and saw some amazing places.

When I returned to Australia, I was 21. I started at University and continued living a party lifestyle. Smoking marijuana became part of my daily life. I needed it to function throughout the day and would feel agitated and anxious if I didn’t have it.

After uni, I worked as a sales rep for an alcohol company. This really enabled my lifestyle of partying and going out all weekend. I had developed a serious marijuana habit. I had to have it to eat and to go to sleep. The only way I could function was if I was stoned. I became very withdrawn and reclusive. I didn’t want to go anywhere; I thought it relieved my stress and anxiety. I didn’t realise that I was addicted to it.

I wasn’t a daily drinker, but when I drank alcohol, I did it to excess. I would get to the point of blacking out nearly every time. I would do embarrassing things and would always wake up full of guilt and shame about the night before. When I drank alcohol I became a different person. My behaviour went against everything I believed in. I felt so ashamed. I was unpredictable. I did not know how I was going to behave once I was under the influence.

Still, I continued to live this way for many years. I didn’t think I had a problem. I always held down good jobs. I was a functioning addict. From the outside, I looked well, and I had a mask that made me feel like everything was ok, even though I felt so empty and sad. I would ask myself, “how could I be a sober alcohol sales rep?”  I was very successful. I had worked really hard to get where I was in my career. I made empty promises to myself on a Sunday night. I would try to moderate my drinking and stop completely, but by Thursday, that would all go out the window and the cycle would continue.

When COVID-19 hit in 2020, I became even more isolated. Working from home enabled my reclusive lifestyle, and my social life dramatically changed. Instead of partying out at nightclubs and parties. I began drinking and using cocaine at home. I was so depressed. It was a very uncertain time. This is when things really spiralled out of control for me. I didn’t feel good inside myself but didn’t know what to do. I felt trapped and alone.

Throughout the years, my friends always knew me as a party person. It was an intrinsic part of my personality. My family was sick and tired of watching me burn my life to the ground and rebuild it. They knew I was deeply unhappy but didn’t know how to help me.

I was very self-centred and didn’t think my lifestyle affected others. I had a victim mentality. I would ask myself, “why does this always happen to me?” I could not take any personal responsibility in my life.

I got arrested for drink driving multiple times. On the third occasion, I was away for work in a hire car. The industry I worked in had a zero-tolerance policy on this. I was immediately fired from my job for “gross negligence.” Although I couldn’t see it at the time, this was the best thing that could have happened. It was my way out of this lifestyle I had become trapped in.

My partying and daily marijuana use was affecting the people around me. I had no time for relationships as alcohol and drugs always came first. The longest relationship I had was 4 years. She didn’t like that I smoked pot every day. I was completely unreliable. She would make plans and I would go out all night and be asleep through the day.

After I lost my job and was in serious trouble with the law I was lost. I could no longer deny the impact alcohol and drugs were having on my life. My sister knew I needed help. She found Hader Clinic Queensland online and told me my private health would cover the cost. I didn’t want to go but my life was such a mess I had nothing to lose. I had never sought help before. I wasn’t sure what it could do for me.

I learned so much at Hader Clinic Queensland. I thought I was walking into a prison yard, but it was the opposite. I was set free. Everyone was so understanding, they were not judgmental at all. Being around other addicts and hearing their stories made me feel so comfortable and safe. I realised we were all the same, and I had many “yets”.

For the first time in so long, I had time to sit back and reflect on my life. The foundations I learned in there have helped me immensely. I was taught how to be present with meditation and daily readings. I was introduced to 12 Step fellowships and literature. Narcotics Anonymous meetings have become an important part of my life over the past year.

Life is still life and I would be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows. I have good days and bad days but I now have a daily program that helps me manage feelings and situations without the use of drugs.

I recently celebrated 1 year clean and sober. My life today is so much better. I am gainfully employed in a new career where I get to help people and contribute meaningfully to their life. I have a better relationship with my family and friends. I always had their love, but now I have their respect. I attend regular meetings; I have a sponsor and I work the steps.

Thank you Hader Clinic Queensland for giving me the foundations to build a life I want to be part of.

Names and photographs of this client have been changed to protect their privacy.

Dr Mel Symon

Director, Hader Group QLD

Dr Mel Symon is the Director of Hader Group QLD, leading both Hader Clinic Queensland and Hader Clinic Queensland Private. With more than 30 years of experience in human services and over 20 years as a founder and business leader, Mel has played a central role in establishing and growing Queensland’s leading addiction treatment services.

Mel holds a PhD in Addiction Treatment from the University of Queensland, along with a Master of Mental Health, Master of Professional Management, and a Bachelor of Social Science. Since 2016, she has overseen the development of the 40-bed Hader Clinic Queensland residential rehabilitation program and, in 2021, the creation and opening of the 25-bed Hader Clinic Queensland Private Hospital.

Passionate about lifelong recovery, Mel is dedicated to evidence-based care, meaningful change, and supporting individuals to rebuild their lives through sustainable recovery pathways.

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