Ricardo, a Portuguese 29-year-old man, after a long period of vices and drug abuse at the height of the eighties, has its life on the line. The institutions from his country cannot assure an effective treatment, so he is sent to a rehabilitation centre from the Association Le Patriarche, in France. The Association Le Patriarche was internationally renowned for the treatment of drug addictions, in the eighties and nineties. However, the particular condition of Ricardo will raise controversial doubts about the methodologies used. Going through several centres in France and Ireland, Ricardo realises that the association is not quite what pretends to be. Why such an obscure secrecy? The true story of Ricardo describes his experiences interacting with other residents, his adaptation problems, his suffering and frustration, the issues between the founder of the Association and the scientific community. This emotional and moving book reveals the will to succeed and attain freedom again.