Montreal man tries to fight drug addiction with mixed martial arts
Matthew has been struggling with substance abuse since he was 14
For most of his life Matthew battled an addiction to drugs and alcohol. He reached out to Now or Never to share his plans to fight his way to sobriety. In the two years since this story first aired, Matthew completed a rigorous mixed martial arts training program, won his final fight, and just celebrated two years of sobriety. Click 'listen' to hear his story, and read here for an update to see how far he's come.
We are not using Matthew's last name to protect his privacy.
Matthew missed a Monday morning training class two and a half weeks ago, because he was up late doing prescription drugs and cocaine the night before.
We are not using his last name to protect his privacy.
"I just couldn't do it. Let me rephrase that – it's not that I couldn't do it, I didn't do it," Matthew said of skipping his 6 a.m. Wimp 2 Warrior class.
Wimp 2 Warrior is a 22-week mixed martial arts training program designed to help people conquer their mental and emotional problems. The high-intensity boot camp culminates in a one-on-one cage fight with a peer.
For Matthew, learning to be a good MMA fighter is far from the top on his priority list. Instead, he's hoping that the program will ultimately help him beat a drug problem he's been grappling with since he was 14.
"There's this looming fear that everything will eventually end with me being alone," said Matthew, "and that's what I'm fighting against."
'I just blacked out'
Matthew's addictions were worsened by his years as a touring musician. For more than a decade, he was a bass player for bands like The City Streets and Eternal Husbands.
They drove city to city across the continent, during which Matthew would often drink to the point where he couldn't remember what happened.
"There was a time in Chicago ... I just blacked out. I got two songs in and I couldn't play my bass. I threw my bass on the ground, walked off and sat in the back alley and just cried," recalled Matthew.
At the worst of it, I remember taking 20 pills in a day. Just kind of waking up with horrible withdrawal.- Matthew
It wasn't long before Matthew found himself having hangovers that would last nearly a week. In order to combat body shakes and headaches, he started taking prescription drugs.
Fighting against addiction
When his career as a touring musician came to an end a few years ago, Matthew struggled to adjust. Meanwhile, the drug abuse continued. Matthew knew things had to change.
He's not sure if he'll be able to kick his addiction, but for the first time in his life, Matthew says he is truly trying.
"If a 22-week training camp of getting up at 4 a.m. doesn't do it, I just have to accept that it's not a matter of discipline. It's not a matter of hoping for change ー there's something else going on," Matthew said. "And at the very least, I'm putting a lot more stop gaps in between me and using [drugs]."
To hear Matthew's full interview, click the 'listen' button above. Ellen Payne Smith was a contributing reporter for this story.