He now spends his days helping those, like himself, whose lives have been derailed by addiction."I can see all the colours everywhere, it's not grey … I feel happy."Mr Bolwell, now 30, first tried methylamphetamine at a party when he was 21."Within a couple of seconds, I was hooked."But the West Australian man is far from alone in his recent struggles with the drug, with statistics showing consumption surging back towards pre-COVID levels.
For Mr Bolwell, a father of one, the long journey to recovery started at a sprawling and scenic property about 700 kilometres from his home in Perth.The Grace Academy driveway is lined with hundreds of trees — one for each person who has completed the rehabilitation program. "There are many great stories of not just individuals whose lives have been transformed but families that have come back together again," Mr Hall saysMr Hall says alcohol and meth addiction are the most common challenges facing the program's participants.
The Mental Health Commission provides funding for a suite of prevention programs and support services across WA."When it comes to support for people experiencing issues with alcohol and other drugs, each community across Western Australia has unique needs," Mental Health Commissioner Maureen Lewis says.