Published: April 2, 2021, 8 a.m.
In our interview with Adam, a 32-year-old recovering addict, he recalls the early years which led him down the path to severe addiction.
- He was plagued by deep resentment toward his father who was, in Adam's young view, not attentive enough to his desire for love and affection.
- Despite, or because of, being part of a very affluent family in Dubai, he was let loose on the "streets" where he could do whatever he wanted, including the sampling of every drug under the sun.
- He became a chameleon like many addicts, changing his personality to fit into the crowd at the time. Peer pressure to conform during teen years is already intense, and his desire to fit in was only amplified as he slipped into addiction at an early age.
- He relates that his disease progression accelerated as he started to use more onerous drugs, resulting in violence and alienation from family and society. He relates his journey to the wake-call in Part Two.