The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
‘It’s not easy but it’s worth it’
Membertou man celebrates 10 years of sobriety
MEMBERTOU FIRST NATION — At 24 years old, John K. Macewan had a decision in front of him: make some big changes to his life or continue on the path of drug and alcohol abuse, a choice his doctor said would likely kill him within three years.
Now, Macewan is being celebrated by his community of Membertou First Nation for 10 years of sobriety.
"Ten years is an incredible milestone for John, and as a community, we are so proud of the commitment that he has put in to reach this goal,” Membertou's chief, Terry Paul said.
“John's journey is important and can serve as a positive example of what is possible with determination."
EARLY LIFE
Macewan, who is currently enrolled in the bachelor of arts community studies program at Cape Breton University and is finishing up his summer employment at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, began smoking weed at 11 years old and discovered alcohol at 14.
“Once I got drunk, I loved it,” he said.
Alcohol led to prescription drug abuse at 16 and he stopped attending school. It wasn't long before he got expelled and then was kicked out of his house over his destructive behaviour.
His grandmother helped him get an apartment in Sydney, and then he moved back to his home community two years later — all while his addictions increasingly took over his life.
“My drinking got worse every day and it got to the point where, if I was drinking with my buddies, I'd have to save some drinks for the morning,” he said.
In 2010, while driving drunk, Macewan was in a car accident.
“I woke up the next day and I just wanted a drink. I didn't care what happened, I was killing myself,” he said.
CHOOSING LIFE
Not long after that, he went to see his doctor, who ordered bloodwork and then called him into her office a couple of days later.
“When I went in, she said, ‘You smell like a brewery,' and I wasn't even drinking, that's how much went through my system, and she said, ‘I want to talk to you about your drinking. If you keep going the way you're going, you won't make it past three years,'” he said.
The bloodwork indicated Macewan had developed liver disease resulting in decreased liver function.
“I went home and said, ‘Do I want to keep drinking, or do I want to keep living?' So, I got sober,” he said.
Macewan moved in with his grandmother, joined a 12step program, and focused on his own physical and mental health. Without alcohol, he started to feel emotions again.
“I remember going to the movies with my family and I'm crying my eyes out, just tears of joy,” he said, adding he had to learn how to deal with his emotions, both good and bad, that had been numbed for a decade.
ONE DAY AT A TIME
He went back to school and graduated with distinction from the Sydney Adult Education Centre in 2018. He earned a social services diploma from the Nova Scotia Community College and is going into his third year at CBU.
He volunteers his time in community outreach through Cornerstone Cape Breton, a not-for-profit focused on men's mental health, as well as LOVE Nova Scotia, a youth support network, and most recently as a youth peer support worker in Membertou for youth aged 14 to 17.
“I just like to freely give back what was given to me. I wouldn't be here without it, you know. I didn't do it alone, that's for sure,” he said.
It was a lesson he learned from his grandmother, who told him to go out and help someone who was not as fortunate as he was. And she knows what she's talking about — she's been sober for 45 years. His mother also has 30 years of sobriety.
Macewan said at first, he couldn't imagine seven hours sober, let alone a day, let alone 10 years. He looks back every now and then and thinks about how lucky he is to have survived.
“One guy said to me, ‘You'll be nothing but a low-life, bumming change out here for the rest of your life,' and that kind of drives me today, and I want to thank him for saying that because, all these years later, that's my drive — to be better than what I used to be.”
To mark the occasion of Macewan's 10-year sobriety milestone, Membertou shared his story through the community's Facebook account, attracting over 1,500 reactions and more than 600 messages of congratulations.
Today, he wants the youth with whom he works — or anyone struggling with addiction as he did — to know they're not alone, and with hard work and determination, things do get better.
“It's not easy, but it is worth it.”