Gregory Smith’s childhood was the stuff of nightmares. I won’t go too deep here but the snapshot is neglect, violence, abuse and misery. At 10, his mother left him at an orphanage, where the abuse continued, from 14 he was in and out of juvenile detention and by the time he reached his 20’s, he was an addict and alcoholic, living on the fringe of society, with significant mental health issues. For decades he was homeless and for an entire decade, he lived as a hermit in a tropical rain forest (without shelter) in total isolation. In his late forties, he emerged from the forest weighing 41kg (at 5’10”, 178 cm’s) and was at death’s door. From that point until now, Gregory has fully recovered, been clean and sober for more than twenty years, earned a PhD in Sociology (Dr. Gregory Smith), is a Senior Lecturer at Southern Cross University (on his way to being a Prof.), has written an amazing book, has done a TED Talk, been featured on numerous media outlets (including Australian Story) and his story is nothing short of incredible and inspirational. Enjoy.

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