Ben Owen

And when we moved, that was the end of the world to me. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. It was all the, you know, listening to Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails and the world's going to fucking end because I lost my girlfriend and she's in Mississippi and I'm in California. And I just went nuts, dude. I went completely nuts. How so? You name it. Like, I went from...

And when we moved, that was the end of the world to me. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. It was all the, you know, listening to Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails and the world's going to fucking end because I lost my girlfriend and she's in Mississippi and I'm in California. And I just went nuts, dude. I went completely nuts. How so? You name it. Like, I went from...

And when we moved, that was the end of the world to me. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. It was all the, you know, listening to Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails and the world's going to fucking end because I lost my girlfriend and she's in Mississippi and I'm in California. And I just went nuts, dude. I went completely nuts. How so? You name it. Like, I went from...

I was a straight-A student my entire life until I moved to California. Not just straight-A student. I mean, I was like an absolute nerd. I was writing letters back and forth to the president of Harvard from like 10 years old on forward. I wanted to be a cardiovascular surgeon.

I was a straight-A student my entire life until I moved to California. Not just straight-A student. I mean, I was like an absolute nerd. I was writing letters back and forth to the president of Harvard from like 10 years old on forward. I wanted to be a cardiovascular surgeon.

I was a straight-A student my entire life until I moved to California. Not just straight-A student. I mean, I was like an absolute nerd. I was writing letters back and forth to the president of Harvard from like 10 years old on forward. I wanted to be a cardiovascular surgeon.

I had led a clinical study at the University of Mississippi at 13 years old that ended up getting published in the Journal of Neurology. Like, I was an absolute nerd, all right? Goody two-shoes, never got in trouble. Didn't give my parents any problems whatsoever. Within a month of moving to California, I'm still on alcohol, getting drunk, tried meth, tried coke, shrooms. At 14? 14, yeah.

I had led a clinical study at the University of Mississippi at 13 years old that ended up getting published in the Journal of Neurology. Like, I was an absolute nerd, all right? Goody two-shoes, never got in trouble. Didn't give my parents any problems whatsoever. Within a month of moving to California, I'm still on alcohol, getting drunk, tried meth, tried coke, shrooms. At 14? 14, yeah.

I had led a clinical study at the University of Mississippi at 13 years old that ended up getting published in the Journal of Neurology. Like, I was an absolute nerd, all right? Goody two-shoes, never got in trouble. Didn't give my parents any problems whatsoever. Within a month of moving to California, I'm still on alcohol, getting drunk, tried meth, tried coke, shrooms. At 14? 14, yeah.

Yeah, I actually spent my 15th birthday locked up against my will in California. And that's when things really started going downhill. So, you know, they caught me with weed. I don't remember how it actually happened, but... And I never liked weed. But it was just my way of acting out. I would have it, you know, and I got caught. And so they flipped out like it was, you know, heroin that I was on.

Yeah, I actually spent my 15th birthday locked up against my will in California. And that's when things really started going downhill. So, you know, they caught me with weed. I don't remember how it actually happened, but... And I never liked weed. But it was just my way of acting out. I would have it, you know, and I got caught. And so they flipped out like it was, you know, heroin that I was on.

Yeah, I actually spent my 15th birthday locked up against my will in California. And that's when things really started going downhill. So, you know, they caught me with weed. I don't remember how it actually happened, but... And I never liked weed. But it was just my way of acting out. I would have it, you know, and I got caught. And so they flipped out like it was, you know, heroin that I was on.

Because my parents were very, what's the word I'm looking for? Strict. Very strict, straight and narrow kind of people, you know, like never done drugs, none of that. And so they flipped the absolute hell out and sent me to rehab for weed when I'm 14 years old. Well, I get in there. And they make me talk to a psychiatrist. And I realized, like, I can just get dope in here.

Because my parents were very, what's the word I'm looking for? Strict. Very strict, straight and narrow kind of people, you know, like never done drugs, none of that. And so they flipped the absolute hell out and sent me to rehab for weed when I'm 14 years old. Well, I get in there. And they make me talk to a psychiatrist. And I realized, like, I can just get dope in here.

Because my parents were very, what's the word I'm looking for? Strict. Very strict, straight and narrow kind of people, you know, like never done drugs, none of that. And so they flipped the absolute hell out and sent me to rehab for weed when I'm 14 years old. Well, I get in there. And they make me talk to a psychiatrist. And I realized, like, I can just get dope in here.

Because I wanted to change the way I felt. That was the crux of everything. I did not like the way I felt. And I wanted to do anything I could to change it. I'd been drinking extremely heavily. I'd been caught stealing alcohol. I was taking open containers of alcohol to school, to high school, ninth grade with me. And the teachers there wouldn't do shit. They were afraid of the students.

Because I wanted to change the way I felt. That was the crux of everything. I did not like the way I felt. And I wanted to do anything I could to change it. I'd been drinking extremely heavily. I'd been caught stealing alcohol. I was taking open containers of alcohol to school, to high school, ninth grade with me. And the teachers there wouldn't do shit. They were afraid of the students.

Because I wanted to change the way I felt. That was the crux of everything. I did not like the way I felt. And I wanted to do anything I could to change it. I'd been drinking extremely heavily. I'd been caught stealing alcohol. I was taking open containers of alcohol to school, to high school, ninth grade with me. And the teachers there wouldn't do shit. They were afraid of the students.

Like, it was, the students literally ran that school. So I started talking to the psychiatrist at this rehab place. And remember, I was a nerd. I'd read the DSM. It was the DSM-IV back then, front to back. I don't even know how many times. What's that? I think it stands for Diagnostics and Statistics Manual.

Like, it was, the students literally ran that school. So I started talking to the psychiatrist at this rehab place. And remember, I was a nerd. I'd read the DSM. It was the DSM-IV back then, front to back. I don't even know how many times. What's that? I think it stands for Diagnostics and Statistics Manual.