Dennis first drank when he was 10 years old. Sure, it started out as just sips. But things, as they do, progressed as time went on. 

It went from drinking to smoking cigarettes and then weed. Fitting in was something Dennis wanted because he never felt comfortable in his own skin, or good enough for himself. Feeling he was a part of something was so crucial for him. Anything to fill that void was what he was searching for. 

By the end of high school, he was driving under the influence and the judgement was just not there. The bandaid got ripped off once college came around & partying was his main focus. Blacking out, being awake for a couple of nights in a row doing drugs... it became apparent to him that his life centered around it. 

Following an overdose, he woke up in the ICU on a ventilator,  in the same hospital he used to work at. Major wake up call. 

Hear all of Dennis' story here...