After Meth: Former addict Dane Bourget shares his personal path to recovery

Dane Bourgethas been to hell and back.

Meth took him there.

"Very quickly, [meth]took over my life," Bourget said.

"Itwent from trying it once or twice to being an all day, every day user within a few weeks."

Dane's descent into meth addiction and his ascent into recovery is the subject of the new short film After Meth.

The four-minute long film,the firstin a series of three meth recovery stories, wasproduced by Winnipeg filmmakers Tyler Funk and Carmen Ponto for CBC's Creator Network, whichworks with emerging storytellers including filmmakers, writers, artists, photographers, illustrators and animators to tell stories through their own lens.

Like Bourget's story, the other short films feature personal and hopeful accounts of escaping the desperate grip of meth addiction, fromtwo Winnipeggers who are now sober. They will be released in the coming weeks byCBC Manitoba.

After more than a decade of drug use, Bourgetfound a path out of meth addiction. He has been sober since Aug.12, 2014, and subsequently founded the peer-support groupJib Stop.

Bourget's path to addiction started early. He was smoking marijuana and usingketamineby age 13. By 2002, he began using meth, and his life quickly deteriorated.

At his worst, Bourgetabandoned his two children and disappearedfor several months. Hehas since repaired his relationship with his kids.

"I've worked hard and have built a good life for my children and myself."