From Reel to Real: An Epic Journey from Addiction to Recovery and Redemption

Hollywood set designer Dwayne Higgins thought he had it all: a rewarding career in the film industry a beautiful girlfriend and a daughter on the way. He lived in a lavish home with two expensive cars in his driveway. Talented and charming Dwayne worked alongside Hollywoods top celebrities and directors and attended glamorous parties at celebrity hotspots.But beneath his veneered lifestyle Dwayne struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction which - in times of stress - threatened his career and his relationships with those he loved most. Dwayne faced two life-altering events within months of one another: the birth of his beloved daughter and a writers and actors strike that destabilized a career that took 15 years to build.Being out of work for up to two years he reached for prescription pain pills cocaine and alcohol to cope Dwaynes life began to spiral helplessly out of control. In a matter of a year he lost his young family his home and his celebrated career while a third drunk-driving charge led to his deportation. He arrived back in Canada with nothing but a bag of clothes.Within two years Dwayne went from living the American dream in Los Angeles to a brief unsuccessful event-planning career in Bali Indonesia to the drug-infested back alleys of Vancouvers Downtown Eastside where three suicide attempts and heroin use left him reeling in hospital rooms. Eventually Dwayne would find solutions: he would find that someone who would help him confront his demons and a rehabilitation program that led to a moving reunion with his estranged daughter.Surrendering to the inner voice that was there with him all along Dwayne Higgins would ultimately journey past success and failure toward a life filled with redemption love and hope.