CARLYLE - Brad Siroski turned his life around 13 years ago when he realized that he was going to lose his daughter, and this was something he could not bear.
Today, he goes to schools and talks to students about his experiences with mental health and addictions.
On April 9, he went to the Gordon F. Kells High School to speak of his long road of recovery. The Grade 6 students from the Carlyle Elementary School were also invited to attend.
Principal Amy Rutten welcomed everyone to the event and introduced Siroski to the group.
Raised on a farm near Davidson, Siroski went to school, came home, did his homework and chores, and then his mother told him he could do what he wanted. Siroski always had a smile on his face, but deep down he struggled with mental health.
Having a verbally abusive father, Siroski felt he was worthless. He loved his father and respected him, but knew he drank too much. He still tried to smile so no one knew that he hurt inside.
He had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was labelled as a troublemaker and a bad apple. He was told he would never make anything of himself, and slowly these thoughts took over.
At the age of 13, Siroski took his first drink and it felt good. After the second drink, he felt even better, and everything seemed to go away. It solved some of his problems and the addiction with alcohol began.
Siroski played sports and was always ready to lend a hand helping others, but as he got older the struggles at home grew.
By the time he hit Grade 12, he was drinking every day and smoking cannabis, but with the help of his guidance counsellor, he was able to complete high school. This is when his life went downward, and he moved out of his parents' place.
It did not take long for him to be kicked out of the first place he lived and a post-secondary school. He got into trouble with the law, was arrested for driving while impaired twice, and went to jail for 16 days and rehab for 21.
Siroski got deeper into drugs, which took over his life. Then he found out he was going to be a father. The day his daughter was born, he felt pure love for his little girl, but it was not enough to keep him clean.
He stole from his family, and they did not want him around anymore.
He was not eating. Losing weight and stressed, the thoughts of suicide came into his mind, as he felt he was a failure and there was no other choice.
Siroski knew he had to change his life. It happened when the mother of his daughter said she was going for sole custody as she did not want Siroski to be around the little girl when drunk and high on drugs.
On August 12, 2012, through the help of his boss, he entered a recovery program. His boss said he was proud of Siroski, and this was confusing to Siroski, but his boss said it took a lot of strength to ask for help.
He finally let it all out in the program, talking with 24 other men. They were going through the same thing, and it was a relief for him to be able to talk to someone that understood.
The drugs and alcohol were only part of the issue; he had to deal with the mental health issues as well in order to begin the journey of healing.
The day he was accepted back into the post-secondary education system, Siroski found out he had a fist-sized cancerous tumour on his kidney. He had surgery and nine months later he was good to go.
Today, Siroski is drug and alcohol free and has been for 13 years. He has also been cancer free for 10 years.
He has joint custody of his daughter Keyerra, has been married for 2 1/2 years to Barb Siroski and has two more daughters, Sydney and Genavieve Bakke.
His relationship with his parents and siblings has grown and he feels that each day it continues to improve.
On March 2022 he was an integral part of the development of two mental health programs. He received the Safety Centered Leadership Award in 2022 for his contributions to the design of the Service Hospitality Mental Wellness Modules.
In March 2023, Siroski received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for his contribution to the mental health and addictions field.
He wrote the Long Road of Recovery, which was released on Jan. 13, on his mother’s birthday. He has also authored numerous poems that he uses in his presentation, and it is his hope to publish a book of poetry in the near future.
While he attends schools and speaks on his life of addiction, he also has his own business helping people.
“Every time I talk about what has happened in my life, it helps me to heal,” said Siroski.
“Remember you are the author of your story, you can write your own happily ever after,” he said.
The students could go to Siroski and speak to him in private if they wish. Anyone who needs to talk can email Siroski at [email protected].
He assured everyone that he would return their email within 24 hours.
“If you need help, reach out, do not suffer alone,” Siroski said. “We are here to help.”
