Like many former drug addicts, Oliver has been totting up the days he has managed to stay clean. He tells me that Thursday 10 July marked his six-month “clean” period.

What is most striking about this man is that he has always been open to any form of help and that is how he has managed to pull through.

He is in his early 30s and started taking drugs when he was about 18, smoking cannabis on the weekends and moving on to heavier drugs like ecstasy, heroin and cocaine, after a year or so.

For someone like Oliver, who is the type of guy who is always on the look-out for new thrills, it is hardly surprising that he ended up moving on to heavier drugs.

It was somewhat of an experiment more than anything else. He was brought up very well and received a good education. Until a year ago he was even active in sports.

“I knew it was not the right way to live my life, but it is very easy to fall into a trap when things get difficult and you find drugs convenient, so to speak, to help you get over a problem. Although I try to live without regrets, I hate the fact that I was not clean when my mum died.

“Bereavement and pain makes you a stronger person. That is what life is all about. It still hurt when mum died, but I was spaced out. I simply felt like my life was going to end. I used to smoke cocaine and cry. I had even become suicidal and lost all faith and hope in life.”

He explains that he feels a certain sense of achievement when he reflects on the fact that he has managed to pull through a number of experiences and that he was determined enough to look life in the face positively.

“My best friend died of a drug overdose – that brought me down to earth. My marriage fell apart and a serious relationship with another girl ended very badly. My mother, whom I loved terribly, died of cancer. Sometimes it feels like I wasted my youth because of the drugs, but it feels good to live a clean life.”

Oliver does not drink alcohol to make sure he is not tempted to go on drugs again. I ask him whether he finds it hard to order water in a bar when his friends are drinking alcohol, but he says it really does not bother him.

“If I happen to be with people who are not aware of my problem and insist that I have a drink, I normally say I have a health condition. With friends it is usually fine and they are very understanding,” he said.

Oliver tells me that he is extremely grateful to have a supportive family, loyal friends and a job. Counsellors from sedqa, the agency against drug and alcohol abuse, have also played a crucial part in his “healing process”.

“I never participated in a residential drug programme, because I always needed to work and I always had the support of my family and friends who did not take drugs. I’ve always had a problem to communicate, but I’ve learnt to be honest with my counsellors, my doctor and even my family. It’s very important, otherwise they can’t help you.”

He said he regrets having stolen money from his parents and an ex-girlfriend to finance his habit, but he tries to make up for it in different ways, particularly by trying to live a good life.

Oliver explains that he has come to the understanding that the drugs themselves are not the main problem that drug addicts face.

Really, it is the addict’s character that is the problem, he says, adding that he has learnt to manage the addiction rather than trying to eradicate it.

“I am a shy person, I am very insecure and I have a terrible inferiority complex. I would turn to drugs to try to chat up girls. Whenever I was in a relationship, I would use drugs to supposedly deal with problems.

“Drugs make you very unsocial. I used to spend hours alone playing PlayStation games. Addicts often engage in self-pity. This is why I now find sedqa one-to-one sessions and the Narcotics Anonymous group meetings very useful.”

He explains that whenever he stopped taking drugs, he had to try to occupy his time. Spiritually, he has found Youth Fellowship very helpful; he also prays every day and does not miss Sunday Mass.

He still practises sport, although to a lesser extent than he did before, and he uses his vacation leave to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings at the Millennium Chapel in Paceville.

“Sedqa helped me a lot in my life. I have had very good counsellors who were always very welcoming and helpful. It is normal to feel rejected, but anyone can stop if one is determined to do so.

“I have always been open to any form of help and I look for positive things in life. I know that I am far from immune to drugs, but I live for the day and I have learnt that I have to be careful of things that give me a thrill. You have to be in control.”

* The name of the interviewee is fictitious

For more information about Sedqa and its services visit www.sedqa.gov.mt,or call on 2388-5110 or Supportline 179. Agenzija Sedqa forms part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, which also incorporates Agenzija APPOGG (www.appogg.gov.mt) and Agenzija SAPPORT (www.sapport.gov.mt).