Australian Anti Ice campaigner Jose Porcia shares journey from addiction to recovery

Jose Porcia is not what one might think of as a “typical meth head”, but the former addict turned passionate advocate argues there is no such thing as he shares his harrowing journey from successful banker to the dark life of an everyday ice user.

Even after waking up on a cardboard box on the banks of Parramatta River, Jose Porcia still believed ice was life’s solution, not the problem.

The 52-year-old has shared his harrowing journey after falling into a debilitating ice addiction that gripped his life for 13 years, taking him from a successful banker with a promising career to a criminal looking for any way to get his next fix.

It all started when a friend who worked in the same industry suggested ice, also known as ‘shabu’, as a way to have fun and deal with stress.

The pair went into the bathroom, lit up a pipe and, from the second the high hit, Jose felt on top of the world and was hooked.

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At first, there was a daily choice whether or not to take ice, but the addiction rapidly took hold of Jose’s life and it became a matter of when, not if, he would get his hands on meth that day.

Jose Porcia still grapples with the effects of continued ice use, finding memory retention particularly hard some days. Picture: Matt Gazy

“I fell in love with ice and the feeling it gave me, so after just three months I was in touch with the dealer, and then I would leave work in the middle of the day to drive from the CBD to Rosehill near Parramatta to spend the entire day there,” Jose said.

“Within six months, I was spending $1000 a week and it was all fine until I ran out of savings.”

Within two years, Jose had drained his savings, lost his job, become homeless and alienated family and friends as he became desperate to do anything to get his hands on the money to fund his habit.

“It ruined my life,” he said.

Desperate to chase that high, Jose soon turned to crime in order to ensure he could pay his dealer. It started with racking up credit card debt but soon he turned to theft.

Jose Porcia with Andrea Simmons from the Australian Anti Ice Campaign.

“I started to break into my family’s houses to steal stuff from them to pay for it and committing petty theft as well,” he said.

“I would walk miles and miles to steal mail to try and fund it.

“I couldn’t see the issue because I couldn’t function and the psychosis started to hit. Once I didn’t sleep for 30 days. You are living a subhuman existence.”

Jose was in and out of prison, but still he saw ice as the solution. He described one regretful moment when his mother, who was severely unwell, travelled two hours to visit him at prison, but he refused to see her as he was “busy trying to find my next fix”.

After being arrested yet again for possession in 2015, Jose found himself enrolled in the drug court, a specialist court that provides an alternative to prison for eligible participants with drug dependencies.

It was there he was given a chance to attend rehab in an attempt to set his life on the right track.

While Jose accepted the option, in the back of his mind he still planned to escape and find his next fix.

“I then had a moment which I call a special awakening,” he said.

While it was a hard 13 years, Jose Porcia says he never shies away from a chance to share his story as it could help someone else. Picture: Matt Gazy

“I was walking through Sydney Airport to catch my flight to Coffs Harbour to Adele House for the substance abuse program with a garbage bag of clothes that did not even belong to me.

“I looked at everyone else with their luggage and they were happy and I was so ashamed.”

It was the reality check Jose needed. He smashed his phone to eliminate the temptation of getting in touch with any dealers or former connections and spent 11 months in rehab.

“One day at a time, I got clean and I did everything they asked me to do and I never went back to Sydney,” he said.

“The first day I went back to Sydney was to go to the drug court in front of Judge Dive on the day of graduation.”

Once out in the world again, Jose needed to rebuild his life and he credits the generosity and kindness of the Adele House and broader Coffs Harbour community for helping him get back on his feet.

“I was sober, but I was broke and I had to face the challenges of a normal person – getting a job, putting food on the table, and paying rent,” he said.

Jose Porcia with other members of the Australian Anti Ice Campaign.

“I couldn’t reach out to my family because I had hurt them.”

Even now, more than seven years sober, Jose said he had to make the conscious decision to stay clean every day, but the struggle to get this far had been worth it.

Jose said if someone could take away one message from his harrowing story, it would be that addiction does not discriminate and there is no such thing as a “typical meth head”.

“I had a happy life, I didn’t grow up around drugs, and I was living a successful life,” he said.

“It just shows you it can be anyone. Once you are on that road, you end up one of a few ways: in prison, broke, dead or in rehab.”

Jose now works with the Australian Anti Ice Campaign, spreading awareness of the harrowing reality of ice addiction through workshops and presentations.

“If by sharing what I went through I can save people from it, then it is all worth it,” he said.

If you, or someone you know, needs help with substance addiction contact the National Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline: [phone] (available 24/7).

Originally published as Australian Anti Ice campaigner Jose Porcia shares journey from addiction to recovery