Sudbury man creates video game about opioid addiction

A Sudbury man is sharing his personal battle against opioid addiction as a way to help others.

Patrick Gervais is creating a video game called ‘Surviving Opioids’ which is based in Sudbury. He says it’s a way to help others who are struggling as well as families who have a loved one battling a drug addiction.

Patrick Gervais said he was taking opioids for nine years, and after close to eight years in recovery programs, he has now been clean for a year and a half. He said it wasn’t always an easy road to recovery.

“I tried a few different things. I went to a therapist, I did an addiction group and entered the Suboxone/Methadone program. It took a while to really fully commit to it,” said Gervais. “You’re starting to get help but your life is so on track with all that stuff still and all your friends are doing it, and it’s on your mind all the time. So, it takes a while to really take it seriously and go all in.”

After getting clean, Gervais created ‘Surviving Opioids’ which is a video game based on his experience with addiction.

Patrick Gervais opioid video game designer

“In the demo you wake up one day in withdrawal.. your rents due, you’re broke, you’re about to loose your job because you’re never showing up, and you kind of got to get your life back on track and if you don’t start taking action to get that going in the right direction then it falls apart in the other direction,” said Gervais. “Everywhere you walk in the city there are things that trigger your emotions and your addiction and you have to learn to identify your triggers and learn how to manage them.”

Gervais said he wants to help others and give people a different perspective, especially family members who have a loved one struggling with an addiction.

“It’s hard to relate to them, you don’t know what’s going through their mind, why they are acting the way they are acting. It kind of gives people the opportunity to step into their shoes and explore that and see why certain things are affecting them, why they are so angry with them all the time when they are just trying to help,” explains Gervais. “Walking through the shoes of someone addicted I’m hoping they’ll be able to see the thought process of why it becomes a priority over everything else in life.”

Surviving Opioids video game

Gervais is also selling ‘Save Our Sudbury’ clothing which will go toward helping him hire more employees, and add more characters to the game.

The demo is set to be released on Nov. 22. which will mark Gervais second anniversary of being clean. The video game will be available on the App Store and can be played on all mobile devices.