Man Beats Addiction, He's Left in Tears Over What Happens 9 Years Later
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A man who battled a drug and alcohol addiction for nearly two decades has gone viral after sharing the emotional moment he returned home to his mother—clean, sober, and nine years later.
Dale Ward, 31, from the U.K., told Newsweek he first became addicted to cocaine as a teenager, eventually spiraling into crack cocaine use and alcohol abuse. His lifestyle became chaotic and dangerous, riddled with violence and crime. At 22, Ward made the heartbreaking decision to leave his family, believing it was the only way to protect them.
The 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 48.5 million Americans aged 12 and older—approximately 16.7 percent of the population—struggled with a substance-use disorder in the past year.
"Today is a day I'll never forget," Ward wrote in the caption of his viral TikTok video (@brummy.1st.class), which has amassed almost 1 million views. "After 9 long years, I've finally returned home with my own little family. For nearly two decades, drug and alcohol addiction consumed my life, and I disappeared to protect them from the pain. But I knew I had to get clean, and I did."
Two screenshots from the viral video showing Ward's mom leaping out of her seat and hugging her son.
Two screenshots from the viral video showing Ward's mom leaping out of her seat and hugging her son.
TikTok/@brummy.1st.class
Ward continued: "I disappeared when I was 22 years old and today I return at the age of 31 and I'm now officially 1 year sober so I decided to come home to see my family. my mother had no idea her youngest boy was about to walk through the door after nearly a decade."
A Long Road to Recovery
Ward has now been clean from drugs for 3.5 years and completely alcohol-free for over a year. He has transformed his life and built a platform as a social-media influencer, regularly sharing his experiences to help inspire others facing addiction.
"I was a functioning addict until I was 18," Ward said. "Doctors told me that I am using a month's worth of dopamine in one night—my brain couldn't produce it anymore.
"My mind went to mush. I wasn't getting the euphoric feeling anymore; my mind was like an engine that overheats," Ward added.
Realizing the severity of his situation, Ward chose to leave his family home. "I said to my mom, 'If I don't go, then I am going to end up dead,'" he said.
Despite multiple attempts at rehabilitation, it wasn't until January 2022 that Ward found the turning point. Medical intervention led to diagnoses of ADHD, high-functioning autism, borderline personality disorder, and panic-attack disorder—conditions that helped explain some of the challenges he had faced.
"I am a functioning member of society now," Ward said. "Drugs change everything about you; morals go out of the window. Now, I feel good; I am not perfect. But I am doing much better and wouldn't dream about doing drugs again.
"Before that video, I hadn't spoken to anyone for eight years," Ward added. "I went through a phase of blaming them; it was hard for me. I held resentment toward them, but now I have let go.
"My mom didn't know I was coming, but my sister knew, so she was recording," Ward said.
A Viral Homecoming
The heartwarming video captured the moment Ward walked through the living-room door—his mother instantly overwhelmed by joy and disbelief. The clip has sparked a powerful wave of support, racking up over 51,000 likes and more than 1,400 comments.
"To all those asking how you could do this to your family—he did the BEST thing for his family," one TikTok user commented. "Coming from someone whose mother was an addict and RUINED our families lives I only wish she'd done the same and come back better and stronger. You did an amazing thing and should be SO proud."
Another wrote: "That's made me so emotional not to physically see your son in 9 years for him to walk through the door with his own baby and partner. I'm a mess. Your mum must have had the best day of her life this day."
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