Lucas:

When Lucas* arrived at Triple Care Farm, it wasn’t his first time seeking treatment for substance dependence.

He’d been using drugs and alcohol since the age of 15 in an attempt to escape a volatile home life; by 18, he’d survived multiple overdoses and two suicide attempts and had been arrested for a violent crime.

As his life spiralled out of control, Lucas enrolled in a youth rehabilitation program, determined to get on top of his substance use. But when his best friend died suddenly, he found himself feeling more alone than ever.

“I got on the drugs pretty hard after that,” he says.

In the aftermath of his friend’s death, Lucas moved to Canberra in search of a fresh start. But even in a new city, he couldn’t outrun his trauma. His relationship broke down and he lost his job. He started selling drugs to make ends meet, but the temptation was impossible to resist. He started using drugs again to cope.

“I bought [drugs] to sell, but I ended up taking them. I overdosed three times in three weeks,” he says.

Lucas knew things were at a crisis point again, but it took a good friend to really show him the harm he was causing.

“My best friend, [when] I nearly overdosed again, she was [there] crying next to me. I was starting to realise, the sh*t I’m doing affects the people I care about,” Lucas says.

“I was like, I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

Not giving up, but giving in

That same friend introduced Lucas to Triple Care Farm. This time, he was committed to making a lasting change. Unlike the chaos of his day-to-day life, Triple Care Farm offered a calm, non-judgemental environment in which he could start to address the issues that were driving his substance use.

“It helped me get over a lot of stuff and figure out when I’m having a bad time, what I can do to help myself,” he says.

After finishing treatment, Lucas moved from Canberra to Wollongong. He found a job and a place to live, and his aftercare worker, Todd, connected him with a local drug and alcohol counselling service. For six months, Todd checked in on him every week.

In this new life, Lucas knows his recovery is never a given; it’s something he’ll have to keep working at every day of his life. The difference now, he says, is that Todd and Triple Care Farm have shown him what he’s capable of.