Victor de Almeida's autobiography "The Hug from Hell" came out last fall and begins with an abuse in Cape Verde, which the then 4-year-old Victor was subjected to in the late 70s.
But the title refers to heroin's appeal when Victor smoked the drug for the first time.
- It was like the whole universe gave me a hug.
I had been looking for that hug all my life.
And I also allude to the bargain with the devil.
It gives you good, but takes everything away from you.
An anxious child
The story continues with Victor moving to Sweden with his mother.
A few turbulent years follow.
Victor is a curious child.
He explores the new land with the searching eye of the adventurer.
But at the same time, Victor is a troubled child.
Domestic violence is frequent.
His mother has met a new man who consumes copious amounts of alcohol and unleashes his wrath on Victor, who has just become a teenager.
Criminality enters the picture early on.
- The worst part was not being beaten.
It was when adults would put me in a room and ask me to account for my mistakes.
Becomes drug-free after 20 years
After 20 years of abuse and 27 documented overdoses, Victor de Almeida finally managed to get off the drugs.
- The hug didn't let go until the mother of my child died in my arms, on a sunny day in Gamla Stan.
By then I had been drug-free for three months.
His experiences come in handy when he talks to everything from gang leaders and the homeless to politicians, sports stars and rap artists on his YouTube channel Dialogiskt.
The channel has been both hyped and criticized for the choice of guests, especially when he invited people who figured in murder investigations.
He himself has nothing against being called controversial and takes the criticism in stride.
- I usually say to my critics that everyone belongs to this society.
If I'm going to portray society, I want to do it in good and bad.
If you want to be in the room when I talk to them, you are welcome to come in.