About Me

My name is Angelo Giuffreda and I love my life today.

If you asked me that question 12 years ago, the answer would have been the complete opposite. You see 12 years ago I had reached a point in my life where I didn’t want to exist. I couldn’t live in my own skin, and I was convinced that I was unlovable and that I was worthless. I lived the life of a chameleon; I had many faces for many events or situations. You see from the outside I looked like I had my life together, but really, I felt like a dead man walking. As long as I can remember I was always trying to find something to satisfy me, that would make me feel good. I was always unhappy, discontent and miserable. I think my first substance that worked for me, was sugar. Sugar gave me such a rush, but the coming down affect brought me back to sadness and irritability, so I searched for more sugar. It worked for a while, but then it stopped working and I was searching for something else. They say that marijuana is the gate way drug to other drugs, well for me it wasn’t the case. Apart from sugar, alcohol was my first drug, and it wasn’t long before I was drinking and drugging daily. It gave me purpose; it filled the void and took away the belief that I wasn’t worthy or good enough.

Eventually drugs and alcohol stop working however that did not stop me using, quite the opposite. I used more and introduced lying, cheating, and manipulation of people, places, and things, including relationships into my life to be able to continue my destructive lifestyle. At the end of the day, it was all about me. I lives a self-centred life, and I took hostages along the way.

I lived like this for 28 years until one day it all fell apart, and I was exposed. I was introduced to a treatment program which saved my life. It gave me structure and a purpose, and the most important thing was it gave me hope and 11 years later the program is still working for me today. Hope is Everything, especially in recovery. I now live an amazing life. I am qualified in Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Counselling, helping people who suffer from the disease of addiction, my people, people who share similar if not the same feelings and thoughts that I lived. Is my life perfect today? Far from it, but what I have now is an awareness of my behaviour, I no longer live with the obsession to use or to worry about what others feel or think of me. I love myself and I respect myself. I live a truly fulfilled life because I deserve it and so do you.

HOPE IS EVERYTHING