Road to recovery: Kickback shares stories of hope and healing

Dave Phillips celebrated his 46th birthday in a unique way.

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He woke up alone on a picnic table in a park in the Echo Place area of ​​Brantford.

“It wasn’t very comfortable that’s for sure,” Phillips said of the one and only night he spent living outside. “But there was a silver lining.

“I woke up, got down, prayed and said ‘I need help and I want help’.”

Phillips, who is better known to his friends as “Woody,” has received a lot of help on his journey towards a life of sobriety.

Waking up on the picnic table was Step 2 on the journey. Step 1 was leaving the latest in a series of what he calls co-dependent relationships – relationships that had substance use as their bonds.

Since that morning, Phillips has spent time at the Salvation Army, the CMHA Safe Beds program and Holmes House in Simcoe and also got a boost from the RAAM Clinic. He’s now living at Rosewood House in Brantford.

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“It started with a little bit of weed and drinking when I was a teenager,” Phillips says of his 28 years of addiction. “In the beginning it was fun without consequences.

“Then, it became fun with consequences and then it was just consequences.”

He moved from marijuana and alcohol to cocaine and then to crack-cocaine.

Now clean for about eight months, Phillips is trying to build a new life for himself.

He has received and continues to receive a lot of help from the community.

“I was already clean when I went to Holmes House so I took the short program there and I’m still part of the follow-up program which I do online,” Woody said. “I’m also attending recovery meetings but not as many now as when I first started my recovery.

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“There’s a lot of help in the community and I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received.”

Phillips is also grateful that even though he has battled addictions, he never used opiates. It’s a lot harder to come back from opiate use, he said.

Addiction, mental health and homelessness has been a major topic of debate across Ontario as communities wrestle with a growing problem of encampments. Involuntary treatment of those with addictions and mental health problems has been raised as part of the solution.

“I can only speak about my own history,” Phillips said. “The only people who can be helped are those who want help.

“The problem in Brantford right now is that there are so many people living on the streets who don’t want help.”

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There were a lot of times when Phillips knew he needed help, but also realized that he didn’t want it or wasn’t ready to accept it.

Phillips was one of several people to participate in this year’s Kickback Marathon: A Powerful Journey of Hope and Healing.

Organized by Ben Strasser, a Brantford resident, the marathon features six hours of sharing stories of mental illness, anxiety, depression, addiction and trauma. The stories focus on hope and healing.

“We brought together a powerful lineup of advocates and individuals who have faced these challenges head on,” Strasser said. “They’re sharing their stories to inspire others.

“These conversations are aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health and offering support to those who may be struggling, showing that it is possible to heal and move forward.”

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The stories have been recorded and will be shown on Rogers TV on January 20 from 7 am to 1 pm and then repeated at 2 pm to 8 pm

“I’m inviting the community to tune-in for a program for an impactful and thought-provoking experience,” Strasser said. “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed to this project, from those who shared their personal stories to the volunteers and production team,” Strasser said. “It’s an honor to help bring these important conversations into the public eye and make a difference in our community.”

Strasser hopes kickback will also encourage meaningful conversations about mental health in the community.

To learn more about the project visit www.facebook.com/kickbackproject.

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