A young Bermudian who faced substance abuse challenges has turned his life around and is planning to become a pilot.

Jacob Costa, 25, said a reality check when he watched the door of a jail cell close behind him ignited his drive to pursue new goals.

He looked within himself and wondered what chance he had of changing.

Two months ago — after weeks of self-doubt and years hooked on drugs — he checked into Dignity House, a rehabilitation facility in Pembroke that helps people with substance abuse and mental health disorders.

He said: “It has been life changing. After I came here, my overall outlook on life has changed and I just want to do what’s best for my life.

“I’m going back to school. I’m finally getting to do what I needed to get done in life.

“I’m going to be a pilot. I’m determined to get my pilot licence — it’s something that I told myself I have to do and now I’m a better person and I’m pursuing my dreams.”

Mr Costa said he wanted to inspire the next generation of Bermudians.

He admitted that peer pressure had led him astray as a teenager.

He recalled that when he was about 17, he “followed the wrong crowd” and started using drugs.

“Things took a turn when I started to get into legal trouble. It was going really downhill and I was getting into fights.”

Mr Costa got a job as a bartender in Hamilton for five years to sustain himself. At various times he was focused but then would suffer relapses.

He said: “As much as the drugs were controlling my life, I was still working around it because in my mind it was just an obstacle.”

At various periods, he used drugs daily but one day this year he convinced himself that a drastic change was needed.

Mr Costa said: “I just told myself I got to do better, because my future was in jeopardy.

“I genuinely just wanted to get help, so that’s why I came here to Dignity House.”

Initially, he was in denial but with the support of his mother, he checked into the facility.

He said: “Just seeing my mom being proud that I came here — that whole thing changed me as a person.

“At first she was nervous because she was worried I was going to leave but being here has levelled me up so much because I am just really focused on my goals.”

Mr Costa called on young people to “have a plan” and examine their outlook on life.

He said: “If you have no plan or mindset on thoughts of things you want to do, you can end up like how I was, on a path of destruction.

“Just think about the outlook. Look at where you’re going to be in five years.”

Mr Costa said that when he got into legal troubles, he recognised that he had to get his life together.

He said: “I realised, when I was in that jail cell and looked at the door, that I got to put my mind to my future — it was a reality check. I’m not going to be in that cage, because it’s not for me.”

He is studying at the Bermuda College to obtain his General Education Development certification.

He said: “My plans are all in motion. I have two tests this week and I’m going to bang those tests out and from there I’ll go further and follow my academic goals.”

Mr Costa explained the benefits he experienced during his two months at Dignity House.

He said: “They have a strict programme and you have to abide by it. They don’t let your struggles define who you are as a person, because everyone makes mistakes.”

Before he entered rehab, he had no goals or thoughts on what he intended to do with his future.

He said: “Being here and being in the classes at the college and learning about myself, learning about what I have done, I realised it does not define who I am.”

In addition, Mr Costa has signed up to Dignity House’s Living Recovery outpatient programme, set to launch this month.

Nicholas Darceuil, who runs the facility with his wife, Kim, said the recovery programme, which had received government funding, “gives people solutions” as well as tackling mental health.

Chefanices Williams, an addiction counsellor and facilitator of Living Recovery, said it complemented the facility’s inpatient programme.

The programme, which runs at six-week intervals, will only accept participants “highly motivated” to embrace their recovery.