Carl’s Story
May 5, 2026
Addiction rarely follows a straight, simple path. There are highs, lows — twists and turns.
For Michael Leahey, the trajectory of his successful career stood in sharp contrast to a private struggle with alcohol that took years, and multiple attempts, to overcome.
Michael grew up in Sudbury, Ontario. He remembers having thoughts about drinking at a very young age. In university, like many people his age, he went to parties and drank regularly but didn’t see it as a problem.
After graduating, Michael began a career in sales, where alcohol continued to be ever present. On his first day, drinks were included at his welcome lunch, and that pattern continued. He celebrated wins, softened losses, and built connections over alcohol. Even sales incentives revolved around drinking, with trips to beautiful destinations where alcohol was abundant and expected.
I would drink a whole bottle of wine at night and then go out and run 30 kilometres the next morning.
— Michael
A double life
At the time, Michael was highly functional. He knew he was drinking too much but appeared healthy and successful. “I would drink a whole bottle of wine at night and then go out and run 30 kilometres the next morning,” he recalls. While he projected a healthy, active lifestyle, internally, he felt he was living a double life.
Michael knew he needed help, but the culture he lived and worked in made it difficult to step away. Alcohol was everywhere — normalized, encouraged, and deeply ingrained in his daily life.
When his health began to decline, Michael couldn’t ignore the impact of his drinking anymore. It was time to take the first step toward getting help.
The start of his journey included seeking treatment at two Ontario rehabilitation facilities and a 30-day program at a treatment centre in Antigua. Each step brought him closer to understanding not only his addiction, but what real recovery requires.
"I put my hand up."
Many people dealing with addiction have a hard time asking for help. It’s difficult to raise your hand and ask for help, but “I put my hand up,” Michael recalls. “I said, ‘Hey, I’m not well.’”
Even then, the path forward wasn’t clear. “My family didn’t know where to turn. And honestly, neither did I.”
What followed were multiple attempts to get sober. “It took a few tries,” he says. “I tried different places, different approaches. Some worked for a while, some didn’t.” During one early recovery attempt, Michael realized how little he understood about withdrawal. “No one had told me what detoxing from alcohol would actually be like,” he says. “I was sweating through bedsheets for about 20 days.”
No one had told me what detoxing from alcohol would actually be like. I was sweating through bedsheets for about 20 days.
— Michael
A safer start at The Royal
After trying private and international treatment options, Michael came to The Royal. “I researched online, found what The Royal had to offer and made the call,” he recalls.
The Royal’s Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders Program offers specialized, evidence-based support and treatment for people living with substance use disorders. In this program, detox is medically managed and patients are monitored closely and supported through the physical and psychological impact of withdrawal. “You’re safe, you’re supervised, and you have subject matter expertise,” Michael says. “That’s why I recommend it as a starting point.”
“They bring you down from your addiction properly and safely,” he explains. “Your body is reacting. There’s anxiety. They help you through those initial stages.” During his treatment at The Royal, Michael began to better understand addiction: “It was the first time I really understood it as an illness.”
“Medically supervised withdrawal management is often a critical first step for individuals with complex substance use,” says Geneviève Côté, Director, Patient Care Services, Adult General Psychiatry Program. “Our substance use disorder program provides specialized care to support safe withdrawal, stabilize patients, and connect them to ongoing treatment — helping them to begin reclaiming their lives.”
Seeing addiction differently
“The biggest eye opener for me was that The Royal treated my addiction like an illness,” Michael says. That shift changed how he saw himself and helped with his recovery. Despite being a successful business professional, addiction had quietly taken over his life. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, whether you're staying in a shelter or living in a luxury home,” he says. “Addiction doesn’t discriminate.”
At The Royal, the focus on caring for the whole–person — physically, mentally, and emotionally — gave Michael a strong foundation to begin rebuilding. It also sparked a new idea: while the program supports detox and recovery what about the transition back into everyday life, where familiar environments and triggers can resurface?
Recovery is not a single step, it’s a journey. My goal is to help people stay well; physically, mentally and emotionally.
— Michael
Sharing his story to break stigma
Michael turned that idea into action, becoming a Certified Recovery Coach and channeling his experience into building something that could help others. He founded Better Now, an executive recovery program based around building community and connection to help others navigate long-term recovery following detox and treatment for substance use.
Today, Michael is open about his journey, both the setbacks and the progress.
“It took me a few tries to get here,” he says. “But every time I learned something. Recovery isn’t one-size-fits all, it’s specific to each person and what motivates them.”
Michael finds that practicing self-care is an important part of his recovery, having been an athlete most of his life. "I prioritize getting proper sleep, eating clean and working out every day."
By sharing his story, he hopes to reduce stigma around addiction and show that recovery is possible, no matter your background. “Nobody chooses this,” he says. “But with the right support, you can find your way through it.”
One in three people in Canada will live with a mental illness or addiction in their lifetime.
Despite how common mental illness and addiction challenges are, access to effective care remains out of reach for many. Most will struggle in silence or never receive care that works for them. That is unacceptable. We need to act now.
