(sniffling)
- (bleep).
(lighter flicking)
(sizzling)
(eerie music)
(sniffing)
(exhales)
- Holy (bleep).
(sniffing)
(groans)
Upper, downer, and another upper.
So up, down, up.
Maybe next year. Maybe never.
Eventually I'll get...
- Yeah, maybe, I might (bleep) have a heart attack from it.
You just never know.
I don't know.
(soft music)
- It's nice. It's nice.
- I just remember always being in the outdoors with Josh.
Always. And it was awesome.
Like no one else would take me. - Sean was my guy.
My little bro. Took him fishin' a lot.
Had lots of good times. - Here.
What color do you want, grandpa?
(indistinct)
- It's (bleep) beautiful.
- But he was so much fun to hang out with.
If we had to make a fire with nothing basically,
he would be able to do it.
Would I trust him with my life? Yeah. 100%.
(sniffling)
Josh. - Huh?
Catch any fish?
- Couldn't imagine a world without Josh, you know.
- Not bad, eh? - Well, it sure beats starvin' to death.
I'll tell you that. (laughing)
- I could live off of the land, buddy.
- That life's still available, you know?
- Oh yeah. - Even the way he is.
Even the state that he's in now...
I still couldn't imagine it.
(exhales)
- My name is Josh, and I was first addicted to cocaine, teenager years,
and then after that I started smokin' it, crack cocaine.
- Where did you go?
- Owe you for what?
- The cops are all over the place too.
We just saw them with him. - I just smile and wave.
- The situation he was in 24 hours a day, I would be insane.
- Oh, smell that stuff, buddy.
Your mind made these pathways that it just goes to drugs.
Boom, boom, drugs.
It's, it's (bleep) up.
- Holy (bleep).
(sniffling)
That is (bleep) up.
- People that don't use drugs, they say you're choosing that,
but once you get addicted, you're on autopilot, man.
That's all you can think of.
- Josh is my second oldest son.
With Josh being that mischievous little firefly kinda kid.
Josh would terrorize Corey, his older brother.
I remember one day I was cleaning the tub
and all of a sudden I hear screeching
and I go out there and Josh has Corey up against the screen window
and he's hosing him down with Scrub Free.
Like... whoo, whoo, whoo.
He got into all kinds of trouble.
- His mother was in a relationship with a hotel owner.
- Josh's dad is not a nice person, at all.
Because he is the most psychological abusive person I've ever met.
Narcissistic.
The situation was so bad
I had thought about giving him up for adoption.
- And that is probably not something that Josh knows?
- Nope.
It was joy having my baby boy,
but not joy for the situation that I knew he was coming into.
So I moved out with the boys during the middle of the nigt
while his father was at work,
and then it just sort of escalated from there
with the court battle and all that stuff.
It doesn't happen very oftn where you're denied zero acces
without like, nothing, not even with supervision.
- My mom was laying on the couch watching X-Files and um,
my brother was sitting beside me and she just,
she said, "I don't know how to tell you this,
but Morley's not your dad. You guys have a different dad."
And I was there like, what the (bleep)?
Pretty much turned my (bleep) world upside down,
and then I just wanted my own dad.
Like, where's my dad then?
I want my (bleep) dad.
It (bleep) eatin' me alive.
I missed out on having a dad. When you're a kid,
when you're a boy like me, a little troublemaker, rebel,
you need a dad that's gonna lay down the law,
and stepdads, they don't cut the cake.
- We moved to Grand Rapids. Nice home.
Pool outside. We fished all the time.
- I remember going to the lae a lot with my mom.
She had a nice little speedboa.
We had a lot of fun in that.
- Josh was a good big brother.
He liked playing lots with Carly and Sean.
- I was 9 and 10 when they were little babies.
And I, I remember they meant a lot.
I was always in there like a dirty shirt
trying to help like, raise them and do whatever I could.
- Family's first. He's always been that way.
Anytime I call him, anytime he goes to hang up the phone,
he'll always say, "You know I love you."
That hits pretty hard.
- Going to school was the biggest shocker.
Getting thrown on a reserve when I was 10 years old.
I was the only white kid.
I was always gettin' beaten up when I got there.
Two hours into school then getting out on the playground
and I got beaten up by six other kids.
Pinned on the ground and kicked in the face.
It (bleep) with your self-esteem, self-worth.
- So he got stirred up with kids at school
and not all those people are necessarily good.
And he was exposed to a lot. Lots of drugs.
I know crack for sure he was exposed to.
- And I was like 15.
I don't know. I say I'm a drug addict
because a mixture of not having my dad when I was growing up,
and then getting thrown on a reserve when I was 10 years old.
- Soon after we moved to Thompson,
he, in high school, immediately got an auto body job.
- Dude, honest to God, you are so talented at bodywork, painting.
You could have your own shop. - Josh would give 'em a demo.
They'd be like, "Holy (bleep. This is sweet."
- I'd go to work three days in a row doing it all day at work.
And they had no idea what I was doing.
- I think he had been fired and rehired there like 10, 11 times.
And that blows my mind.
So he had to have been doin' somethin' right.
- I met the mother of my children on a dating app.
- He started a relationship with a really nice lady.
That was fine.
- And he managed to sort of have his act together
for a little bit of time.
- And they soon had their first child.
- The pictures of Josh looking, holding his baby boy...
...made me feel very proud and hoping that that little guy
could save Josh.
- I love them more than life itself.
Way more than I love myself. It's a good feeling.
When my daughter was born, she came out
and she like, opened one eye and looked right at me, and then closed it.
I felt like I had a meaning.
- I didn't know he was continuing to use like he was using.
- I still kept a full-time job.
I'd get home, usually cook supper,
and then most times, I'd take off.
- So he was having a hard time.
Pretty much partying everywher.
He spent every last penny he owned.
- I lost my kids pretty much 'cause of drugs.
Keepin' my kids away from me, it just,
the worst pain that I've ever felt in my life.
- After everything that's gone on
and it's just got worse, and got worse.
And he's been like that for a few years now and that's sad.
- Josh is in a terribly dangerous situation.
His chances of living out this year are very small.
- He's already had a beating by four druggies.
I don't know, the story sounds so crazy.
All because the one leader asking if he was a fed or a cop.
And then, they just beat the living (bleep) out of him.
They could have like, so easily killed him.
- I was wonderin' where you were.
I thought you were on holidays.
- I don't even know the last time we've all been together.
It's nice that everyone's there with Josh.
- When's it gonna end, eh?
- That's what I'm wonderin'. - Yeah, I know you are.
- How's it gonna end is what I'm more concerned about.
- Yep. Well, I just want my kids, man.
- Yeah, but you know how you're gonna get 'em.
- I just want to see them or talk to them.
I don't deserve to be cut right out of their lives.
- Can't do anything about that. - They (bleep) love me, man.
Especially (beep). He'll probably still remember me.
Dad. - Of course.
As he is right now, he is a total mess.
You've been hittin' it pretty heavy the last little while?
- Ah, like every day. - Every day.
(sighing)
- He makes me very anxious
because you never know what he's gonna do.
- Nah, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go it.
Just gonna grab my sweater.
- Get some more food in you.
- Because it's always something insane.
- I'd really like to kick his ass.
I'm just so mad at what he could become
and what he's doing right now.
- Do you guys know that he frickin' left?
Just left. Said he was going to get a coat.
- While his entire family is here.
- I see pain for his siblings.
I see pain for me.
- I don't think he'll come back.
- There's no hope.
(bleep) we texted you and you just, "Oh yeah, coming, coming."
What are you doing? - Smokin' some weed.
- That doesn't look like weed.
- Once you start, you can't stop.
- He's just lost. There's no sparkle.
Just sort of flat. I see death. I see pain.
It's not good. There's no life.
There's no happiness.
There's nothing but pain.
- It's either gonna kill me or I'm gonna (bleep) come out on top.
- Probably over half the population here is doing drugs.
Josh is living in my grandma's Jeep
that she gave him when she passed away.
- Well, he is homeless.
He, however, has met this young woman that's a drug dealer.
(laughing)
- Hello, hey.
So how much money do you have for me?
How much money?
2000?
- So he's up all night then sleeps all day.
Smokes crack continually. Does coke.
- I'm not choosing it right no.
People think it's a choice. It's a choice at the start.
I agree on that. But once you get addicted,
it's full fledged (bleep), your life depends on it, kinda.
- Josh has no income, no legal income.
- These places are ghetto, buddy.
All the windows, smashed.
You can tell which doors got kicked in by the cops.
That one did.
(knocking on door)
(indistinct)
Hey.
- He helps deliver drugs for her.
I get the feeling that he's a bit of her goon.
- (bleep).
- I like it, that's why I'm...
pretty much, that's why I'm with her.
Chaos, buddy. I'm addicted to chaos.
- Runs around threatening people, picking up money, delivering drugs.
It's insanity.
- I was more worried about you than knocking the guy out.
- If she needs somebody beat up or threatened or whatever,
Josh will do that because then, in turn, she supplies him with crack.
- Okay, go left. Go slow here.
- Yo, this is (bleep). She just got (bleep) 5 grand.
Which house? - I told you.
- Which house?
- Is that her though?
(indistinct) I think it's that one
with the lights on over there.
- Hey, (bleep)!
(indistinct chatter)
When, just now?
Don't (bleep) look at me like that,
unless you wanna get smoked up.
- I ain't runnin', you dumb bitch.
There's cops all over the place.
Smartin' up. (smack)
Ehh, what (bleep) bitch!
- Whoa! - Don't go accosting (bleep)!
- So long, suckers. I just grabbed her.
I won't hit 'em for you, but I'll get 'em of yuh.
- You should've knocked 'em out, man.
- He didn't (bleep) hit you, though.
- I don't give a (bleep), man. I told you to.
- If he did something to you, I'd do it.
I grabber her... - You should've let me do it myself.
- You were (bleep) on the ground, man.
- So, I could've got back up and (bleep)...
- Well, I'm gonna let her (bleep) hit you.
- Nah man, well (bleep) you man. I could've did it myself.
- Ehh! What the (bleep)! Ehh man!
Hey everybody! - Oh yeah!
- See? What the (bleep)!
- He's an intelligent (bleep),
but he's usin' that on the wrong side of the law.
As simply as that.
I hope he realizes like, that's not a (bleep) career.
That's the end.
- (bleep), hook you up.
- Oh, here we go.
- Get him, man.
- Oh, he's gonna grab a weapon. - (bleep) up, man.
Come here.
(bleep). Runnin' away?
You're the (bleep).
- I don't think it's very...
a very good thing to be doing.
- He has a gun. - Is that him?
- Yeah. It's him. - No, no, no, he's gonna...
He's got a brick, dude. - Go, go, go, go, go, go.
Back all the way the (bleep) up. Or run him over.
Run him over! - Oh, he missed.
He missed. - Let's get him.
- He missed. - Enough of this (bleep), guys, we're done.
- Ah, it wasn't a gun, buddy. - Yo, man.
Cops just drove by.
- He considers himself to be a macho man.
But he doesn't know a thing about street fighting.
He will be dealt with rather severely by the users
and the gangs in this town and he'll lose.
I don't think he'll make the year.
(soft music)
(line ringing)
- Hey, Josh, it would be decent if you'd actually call back.
It's been like four hours since you said you'd come over here.
- Yeah, it sounds like he's not comin'.
- Oh, he can never show up when he's supposed to.
I don't know half the stories anymore.
- We're having a family barbecue which, it'll be interesting.
- The neighbors called the cops on him like (bleep)...
- Oh, did they? - Oh yeah.
They seen him walking around when he was all beat up.
- Uh-huh. 'Cause if he gets beat up again like he did, he's gonna end up dead.
He needs to get out of there then.
- What are you gonna do? You're all talk.
- So what's our plan with him?
Just to try to get him to chill out?
- It's probably best to get him out of that house.
- Josh is three hours late.
- Josh is three hours late, yeah.
- Yeah, well, he'll be late to his own funeral that guy, so.
Stuff's gonna go sideways for all this (bleep) crap.
I mean, people are gonna start dying, and then what?
- He would've just went to bed.
He usually sleeps for (bleep) 12 hours.
- Chelsea! - Don't worry about it.
- What's up? - What's goin' on, man?
- Well, come on. - I'm (bleep) tryin' to sleep.
You guys, man! - We've been waiting for you.
- Relax eh. Calm down. What time'd you go to bed at?
- What time is it? - Uh, it's 4 o'clock.
- You guys can't come here like this, man.
- I'd like to hang out with you.
- Yeah, well, you can't force him.
- I feel tryin' to haul him out of that drug house
is like throwing him a buoy.
Grab onto it and I will save you.
- Let's go home. (bleep). - Yeah.
Hopefully he comes... soon.
(seatbelt alert beeping)
- There they are. - Is that just Sean?
Or is it both? - Josh is in the back.
(sighing)
- Sean just has the face of disappointment.
- What's he doing?
- Hey. - He's trying to get a rise
out of you now.
- Pull up your pants there, boy.
- Yeah, they're up. - Not really.
(indistinct chatter)
- What? - He just called me a slut.
(indistinct chatter)
- He just showed up here and he was all drunk
and high and... irate, like distraught.
Just goin' (bleep) bonkers.
- Grasshopper.
(indistinct chatter)
- I'm gettin' sober. Trying to find my dad.
My dad, my dad.
(indistinct) Give me a hug?
- Yeah? You want one?
- I wonder if we should get him to go to bed.
- It was hard to watch. Like he was crying. Comin' up, huggin' me.
(grunting)
(muttering)
(exclaiming)
Trying to explain and like, not normal crying either.
(sobbing) (indistinct chatter)
- It's never too late. You know when it's too late?
- When you're dead. - When you're dead.
- Right. - And you know what?
- (bleep). - You know what?
- Yeah? - You keep doin'
what you're doin', you're gonna be dead.
- Well, help me then, because I can't do it.
- We're tryin'. We're here.
- Just... Let's go. I wanna go find him.
Boom. - That's your...
That's your... That's your responsibility.
- I've tried. I've tried. - That's my responsibility.
Now when I'm (bleep)...
- Josh has a lot of resentmet towards Mom.
Pretty much the only thing that he blames her for
would be not being able to see his dad.
And anything that she has tried to tell him,
he's just called her a liar.
- I've never got the reason why.
I'm pretty sure I know why, what happened.
Do you know what I mean? But I've never gotten it out of her.
She won't say it. - I can fill you in on it.
But not when you're in this condition.
You wouldn't remember it.
But I can fill you in when you're sober.
- Yeah. - I'll do that.
- But all I want is my dad.
That's it.
Boom. Done.
- You've tried to contact him
and he won't have nothin' to do with you.
(grunting)
- It was hard to stay uh...
It was hard to stay cool.
- You wanna know something? - What? Here.
Can I give you a hug?
(sobbing)
What are you doing?
(sobbing)
Well, you're... Do you know what you need to do?
- What? - Get sober.
Do you like living like this? - No.
I just want my kids.
You know that? - I want my kid back.
Your kids are always your kids.
It doesn't matter how old they are.
They're still your babies.
- Oh... It's like...
My world... upside (bleep) down, man.
- You climb out of the depths of hell.
One inch at a (bleep) time.
- It's a (bleep) show.
- Oh (bleep) yeah. Check this out, buddy.
20 bucks.
Not bad, eh?
You know that's, that's lots of drugs right there.
I'm gonna cash it out at 460.
- 40, 60, 80, 1... 3...
- Look at that. Lots, lots of drugs.
I've done it many times.
$20, 900, 400, 900. Like lots.
- I don't know what those types of drugs
do to your brain.
I know it chemically imbalances it
and you're not even remotely
the same person that you used to be.
So I don't know if he knows how hurtful
his actions are.
- I have a lot of anger, (bleep) built up, man.
And I like to take it out once in a while,
when someone wants to do that, (bleep) let it rip, buddy.
- The hardest part is watchig my family go through
him almost die from drugs, being homeless from drugs,
and not being able to really help him.
- Well, good morning.
My name is Maureen Brine.
And I am an interventionist and an addictions counselor and a psychotherapist.
So I'm really pleased to be here today with you.
You know, it takes great courage to be here.
And I want you to know you're doing the right thing.
I believe that interventions are a gift of love.
It's a harsh thing to do.
But his addiction is strong and it needs a strong response.
As you know, Josh's addiction has impacted all of you.
So I'd like to hear why you're here and what your concerns are.
- I have emotionally struggled
with trying to deal with Josh for years.
Watching him destroy his life. - Mm-hmm.
It's like a form of suicide, really.
- Yep. Slow, very slow... suicide.
- Very hard for a mother to watch.
- Yep. - So you blame yourself
for his addiction?
- He does.
- He blames you.
Mm-hmm.
It's not your fault.
And you know what?
Every person with an addiction needs someone to blame.
- I kinda shut down on him.
- You've shut down on him? - Yeah.
Just so I can support my life.
Because if I didn't, if I showed too much emotion,
she would not be sitting in that chair right now.
It's not that I don't care...
- You're holding your emotions in to protect Susan.
- Mm-hmm. - 'Cause if you let them out,
what would you be saying to him?
- Probably not a lot of good stuff.
I'm not givin' up. I want to see him get better.
I want to see him succeed. - Like we're all very caring
and he just abuses it. It's been very hard to watch him
do all that stuff to himself, but I think it's been harder
to watch what he's been doing to the whole family.
- What's the age difference between the two of you?
- 9 years. - 9 years.
- You feel like his older brother.
- 100%. I wish it really wasn't like that.
I wish it was the other way around.
- Yeah. - Maybe one day.
- And I'm Josh's only sister.
I'm here because I just want to see him get on the right path
and maybe have a good relationship with his children again.
- You want him to come back into the family fold, including his kids.
- Very much. - They had two small children
and I seen him just slowly, you know, get worse and worse and worse.
Numerous times having to try to go into his place
and wondering if there's going to be a body
or him that we found and... - Yeah.
- He just, he just spiraled down and down and down, and so, uh...
I hope tomorrow he goes to this place
because he's... he won't live the year if he doesn't, so.
- That's pretty painful when you can't help your grandchild, right?
- Yeah.
It's okay.
Yeah, let it out. It's alright.
- Give grandpa a Kleenex.
- Here you go, grandpa.
- Need a minute here.
- It's okay. Yeah.
Thank you for sharing.
- I really don't know how much more our family can go through.
It's been really hard.
(crying)
- You know, my hunch is that once you do
this intervention tomorrow,
you will have done everything
that you know how to do in order to help.
And really, the rest is up to him.
Josh is on the Titanic.
And you gotta make the decision to get on the lifeboat.
- Morning, team Josh.
How are you all doing this morning?
- Good. - It's the day.
- Today is the day that you've been waiting for.
This part right here while we're waiting for him is probably the worst.
- Feeling anxious. - Yeah.
We've got what it takes.
The rest is going to be up to him.
- All right, let's do it. Let's get over there.
No traffic jams around here.
- We're about 5 minutes out.
- Here we go. Here we go.
- My heart. - It's okay. Breathe.
Keep breathing. Okay.
(indistinct chatter)
Hey, Josh, hi. - Hello.
- Come on in. You haven't met me.
- Nope. - My name is Maureen.
- Hello. How's it goin'? - So, come on in.
You're amongst people who love you.
- Morning. - Come have a seat, buddy.
- You guys... Where's the food?
(chuckling) - We'll give you some food.
- Got lied to right there.
- Yeah, interventions are usually a surprise, right?
- Yeah. - This is a gift of love
and caring concern from your family to you.
They're all pretty worn down with your addiction.
- Yeah. - Each person here
has written you a letter of love.
I'm going to call upon your brother.
- Yeah. - To my great older brother Josh.
You're an awesome person to be around when sober.
And every moment we have spent together I cherish deeply.
I want to stop worrying that the ambulance
I see ripping by me with lights and sirens is for you.
I want you to live the life that you deserve.
It's time to get help.
Your little baby boy and baby girl
will thank you very much for that decision.
I love you, buddy.
- So Josh, each letter has a bottom line attached to it.
I am going to offer you help today.
- Yeah. - Should you not say yes to me,
then these bottom lines will come into effect immediately.
Okay? - The fact that you have
a choice to get better and some of us don't, it kills me.
If you choose against getting help, you're...
you are no longer my brother. - Yeah.
- I will have zero contact with you
for the remainder of my life.
I will make sure your son and daughter are well taken care of
to the best of my ability.
- So I'm going to call on Don.
- Dear Joshua, I love you. We all love you.
You have so much talent.
You could be anything you want to be,
when you put your mind to it.
But you need serious help.
It is killing you and tearing up the rest of us watching it.
If you decide not to take the help offered,
this will be the last time I see you or talk to you.
- Thank you.
Okay, I'm gonna call on your little sister, Carly.
- Dear my big brother Josh,
I love you with every ounce of my being.
I'm beyond worried about the path you've chosen to go down.
You have the choice to have a long, healthy life
and it hurts me deeply for you to continue to use drugs.
If you choose not to accept the help we have offered,
I will cut all contact with you
because of the pain your addiction has caused this family.
(sighing) - Thank you. Thank you.
So I'm gonna call on your grandfather.
- To my grandson Josh,
your severe addiction have put you into a position
where if left untreated will result in your death very, very soon.
I lost a son... early.
I don't want to lose a grandson. (crying)
Should you choose not to accept this life-saving offer
of assistance, I solemnly swear
that these consequences will apply.
I will in my mind declare you already deceased
as far as I'm concerned.
I will discontinue putting in good words for you
to your children. Which I do at every opportunity.
That's all. - Yeah.
- Yeah, it's gotta be a hopeless helpless feeling for you.
You're doing great, Josh. I'm gonna call on your mom now.
- My boy Josh, I know you know how much I love you.
I've said it many many times.
You are a very special piece of me.
I would do absolutely anything for you.
I have tried to tell you numerous times before
that your biological father is and was not a nice man.
I was young. He took full and complete advantage of that fact.
I was abused.
There was a point during--
- It's not about my dad right here, okay.
So don't even talk about him please.
- Okay. We'll just skip over that part.
- I want and need you to accept the help being offered to you today.
This is your final lifeline.
If you choose not to accept the help offered to you,
I will permanently turn my back on you.
I do not want to hear from you again.
You will no longer have a vehicle.
The contents of your storage locker
that your grandfather and I continue to pay for will be sold.
- (bleep) you, man. I'll (bleep)...
- Stay. Sit down. Sit down. Josh.
- We're not done yet. - Tryin' to (bleep). No, man.
Don't (bleep) push me into... - We're not pushin'.
You're (bleep) trying to... hold me in this (bleep) room, man.
- Come on, Josh. How about a cigarette?
- Takin' a break. I need a (bleep) smoke.
Tryin' to (bleep) sell my (bleep).
That's my (bleep). - Come on.
- Josh, just come and listen.
- Sell your stuff... that's (bleep).
That's (bleep), man.
- Do you have any smokes? - You don't own any of it.
- So (bleep) what? Grandma gave me that (bleep) vehicle.
- No, she didn't. - I'd go just if they say they needed help,
not trying to (bleep) take everything away from me.
(bleep). Just go ahead. Take it all away.
- Well, he'll just say that to get out.
I expected this.
- As I said, it's only gonna happen if you say no.
- It's gonna happen. - Yeah. It is.
- It's the end of the line.
- You can't sell my (bleep).
- That's only if you say no.
- Listen, you know what they will do?
Is not pay for the locker. All right?
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- What's up, bud?
(sighing) - Okay.
(coughs)
So I did say to Josh that you wouldn't sell
the contents of the locker, but you would no longer
pay for the locker. - Okay.
- Okay, so do you have more bottom lines, Susan?
- I will permanently turn my back on you.
I do not want to hear from you again.
No texts. No phone calls, absolutely zero.
That will then allow me to be present
as our family tries to rebuild themselves.
- And again, these bottom lines
only come into play if you say no.
- Yeah. - Okay?
- I was thinkin' about my kids, and just...
- Well, they deserve a healthy dad, right?
Because right now, you're missing in action with your kids.
And this may give you an opportunity to get them back.
Well, they deserve a healthy dad, right?
It's my job to ask you. Are you willing to accept help today?
(dramatic music)
- It's gonna be a fantastic offer.
You have to consider it.
- You say, "Yes, I'm gonna do it."
- Yes, I'm gonna go. - Yes, I'm gonna go.
- 100%. - Yay!
- All right. It's time, right?
- It's time.
We're going to fly you out today.
You're going to a treatment center called Greenstone.
Knowing you the way we do, it's in a great environment
with a great treatment team. They have equine therapy there.
- Cool. - Horse therapy.
We knew you'd like that. You're gonna do it.
- Yeah. - All right,
it's a good decision that you're making today.
- Mum!
- Give me a hug, bud.
- Stay safe. You've got this.
(dog whining) - Best of luck, bud.
(dog whining)
- Bye! We love you.
- Get better soon.
- That was very emotional.
You made the best decision for yourself today.
- Yeah. I want my kids.
(soft music)
- Hi, I'm Maureen Brine. - I'm Judith.
- Hi, Judith. Nice to meet you.
- It's so nice to meet you. - I'm the interventionist.
And this is Josh. - Hi, Josh. Welcome.
For the first time since he was a teenager,
Josh is going to be feeling feelings
that he's been covering up with drugs and alcohol.
- So you look tired. Was it a long travel?
- No, it's just the lack of drugs in my system
is wearing me out.
- He's medicating an underlying pain and anger.
He's going to be invited to talk about those feelings
and to learn how to live them and feel them
in ways that are healthy and productive
and that he can grow from.
- When I went to Greenstone, I was completely drained
from the life that I was puttig myself through.
Talons were in pretty deep.
Some people's rock bottom is death.
I wasn't able to do it on my own.
I needed help.
- So Josh was in Greenstone for 60 days,
and after an evaluation and discussion with teams,
we did think that 1000 Islands' amenities and treatment modalities
were better to meet Josh's needs at that time.
- Josh first came to us at 1000 Islands from Greenstone.
He came to us stable. He was really mentally sound.
He was physically sound.
- What's that? - Are you ready to do the work?
- Oh yeah. Yeah. I gotta.
I need those kids in my life.
- And I think that this was a good spot for him
to sort of resettle himself,
and hopefully reignite his passion for recovery.
This was the change of sceney that Josh needed...
(birds squawking)
...to propel him through to the end of this.
- He was quite excited to see that there was
a beautiful river there that he could access.
He spent a lot of his time really finding himself out there.
- What's the goals? What are you going to do?
- I don't know, I'm gonna go to meetings
and continue on with my sponsor.
- For Josh, fishing was his form of meditation.
- I got in contact with my biological father.
I just had to figure out who he is for myself.
Whether he's good or bad. I just needed to know.
As it stands right now,
he's not answering my phone calls so...
It's okay. That's okay with me.
- A sense of purpose, a sense of identity is huge for Josh.
- I feel like a new man,
knowing where I want to go and what I got to do to get there.
I'm 100% sure if I stay clean and sober
that I'll be a good father figure for them.
- He has all of the ingredients for success.
I see a very strong, bright future for Josh.
- You gotta want it, man.
You gotta want it like you want to breathe.
(♪)
Subtitling: difuze