Spencer grew up in a nice neighborhood, but remembers his parents and other family members constantly in emotional turmoil.  It often lead Spencer to escape to his grandparents home for quiet time but the troubles were too much; his first suicide attempt was at age six. Spencer’s first drink came a year later, and he learned at that moment alcohol could numb him to his surroundings. In his teenage years, he found alcohol to be inadequate and tried using marijuana and eventually harder drugs.