Finally Living

Being trapped doesn't mean you're finished. As a child, Michel Peen is locked in the cupboard under the stairs. At home, he lives with violence and fear; at school, he is bullied for years. Later, he seeks numbness in drink and drugs and withdraws further and further from the world. Yet points of light remain: his mother, animals, music and a few people who truly see him. He regains his independence in 2024. On 7 July 2025, he stops drinking alcohol and using hard drugs. After his mother's serious accident later that year, he discovers that he can stand his ground, make sense of case files and speak up for others. Finally Living is an honest, direct memoir about trauma, addiction, fear of people, recovery and the power of being heard. Told with humour and in Michel's own voice, it is the story of someone who finally dares to live after years of merely surviving.