Born into a loving family with strong values, Jarryd’s early life seemed set on a positive trajectory.

Yet, beneath the surface, shadows lurked—shadows that would shape the man he was to become.

Jarryd reflects on his childhood poignantly: “My family was in no way dysfunctional…but looking back, they might have been too lenient. They tried to be my saviour and didn’t allow me to deal with the consequences of my actions.”

At age six and again at twelve, Jarryd endured sexual assault—secrets he kept locked away.

And, as he puts it, “Secrets keep us sick.”

These early violations were his “first drug of choice,” a twisted dopamine hit that awakened a confusing awareness of his own sexuality.

“I didn’t have many reasons to get addicted,” he admits, but the trauma planted seeds of struggle.

By fourteen, peer pressure nudged him toward alcohol. “Undealt trauma, plus alcohol, leads to drug addiction.”

He described the science behind it: trauma and alcohol both impair the brain’s frontal lobe, increasing impulsivity.

“One yes led to a lifetime of pain… And you can’t always shut the door once it’s been opened.”