Learning how to live life again, after being on the brink of suicide

By, Tony Doyle Nov. 25, 2022

Brennan Campbell came to a fork in the road, He felt like he only had two options. One was to kill himself and the other was to try and get clean.

He was homeless and living in Lethbridge, Alberta. He was staying at a drug dealers sitting on a couch, getting high on crystal meth trying to figure out a way to get home before the police caught up with him for some outstanding warrants.

He wasn’t eating. He was just skin and bones. He had been in and out of jail.

Brennan Campbell is happy to be sober now. (Tony Doyle photo)

“It felt a little dramatic to just kill myself before trying to get clean,” said Campbell.

He decided to get clean. Campbell finally got a hold of his family and asked them to help him get home to PEI. He then got into Lennon Recovery House, is a Peer based recovery home that helps people learn how to manage their own lives again.

He attributes his recovery to Lennon House. He stayed 1 year and attended daily therapy sessions yoga and cooking classes. It helped him get clean and showed him how to be a productive member of society again. It also taught him how to be a better parent for his 8-year-old daughter.

“I had to re learn how to do life again,” said Campbell.

Growing up he had a lot of behavioral issues. He felt neglected while being raised by a single parent.

“I Kind of always did what I wanted even if I wasn’t supposed to, I didn’t have many rules to go by to begin with,” said Campbell.

When he was 12, Campbell sent to a group home because of behavioral issues.

By the time he was 14, Campbell was convicted of armed robbery. After that things started to escalate. By the time he was 17 he started using drugs intravenously and had a long rap sheet of robbery convictions.

Addiction can be a response to trauma, according to registered psychotherapist and addictions councellor PJ Dallimore.

Brennan Campbell during his stay at Lennon House with his friend, Gracie Randall. (Photo submitted by Tony Doyle)

Trauma doesn’t necessarily mean violence.

“Neglect, Abandonment, hyper criticism, inappropriate touching and exclusion are all examples of trauma that does not involve violence,” he said.

“It’s important to remember that not all traumas are visible or even thought of as a trauma. We tend to think of trauma as some massive upheaval that involves violence of some kind. But not all trauma involves violence,” said Dallimore.

While many people experience trauma only some will develop substance use disorder or another Mental health disorder.

In order to be successful in recovery, it’s necessary to combine talk therapy with a 12-step group and surround themselves within the community, said Dallimore.

Campbell attends therapy and also 12 step groups.

In the future Campbell hopes to go back to school. He isn’t sure what he wants to do but is working with an admissions advisor at Holland college to try and figure that out. For now, Campbell is grateful for the new chance on life he has been given and doesn’t plan on wasting it.