While we were in Toronto we had the opportunity to speak to a number of fascinating people about their experience in being ill and were blown away by the stories we heard. Andrew Galloway is no exception.

Andrew Galloway, a Toronto-based Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health Specialist, is an International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC). His practice includes interventions, assessments, counseling and referral. Outside of his practice, he is a consulting counselor for the National Hockey League, and National Hockey League Players Association Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health Program.

Check out a segment of a Q & A he had with Toronto Life.

The Q & A: former Bay Streeter Andrew Galloway sympathizes with the crack addicts he counsels on Intervention Canada—because he used to be one

BY MALCOLM JOHNSTON   

Now you’re a successful rehab therapist, but 10 years ago, you were working on Bay Street, hooked on booze and crack. How bad did things get?
I had a few seizures. I would collapse to my knees and crawl to my couch. Finally, I drove over to my parents’ place. My mom opened the door and I burst into tears. She asked, “Who died?” and I looked at her and said, “Me.”

Do you think they suspected all along?
They never knew the extent of it, but they knew something was wrong. I remember one year having a bunch of great ideas for what to get them for Christmas. Then all of a sudden it was Christmas Eve, and I hadn’t gotten them anything. So I cut out pictures from magazines and gave them as IOUs. I wanted to get my dad a putter, but I couldn’t even find a picture of a putter. God. I can still see the pencil drawing I made. You want to talk about shame? But you know what? Now I get my Christmas shopping done in October!

At the time, you were a venture capitalist, running a number of companies. How much were you making?
Six figures. I was 25 and a director of four or five publicly traded companies. I had a house on the water, a swimming pool, an amazing sports car. But I lived a double life. My friends didn’t know.

When did you first do coke?
In Grade 12 in a prefect’s room at UCC, during a school dance. Back in Grade 5, I was the kid who thought, I’ll never drink, I’ll never do drugs. By Grade 8, something had changed. Then it was, I’ll never do cocaine, I’ll never do heroin, I’ll never do hallucinogenics. By Grade 12, that had changed too. I kept moving the bar.

How exactly did you get into crack?
I was watching 60 Minutes on the crack epidemic in America, and I thought, look at all these people who smoke crack! It must be really good. The show basically demonstrated how to make it, so I made it and thought, wow, it is really good.

Check out the rest of the article here!