A man from North Belfast has opened up on how he went from having cocaine for breakfast to turning his life around, finding structure and uncovering a love for himself and life.
Cuan Mhuire was founded in 1966 by Sr. Consilio, who along with many dedicated supporters and staff, built it into the largest addiction treatment organisation throughout the Island of Ireland. "I was introduced to cocaine and ‘fell in love with it’, a strange thing to say but I loved how I felt when I took it. It gave me energy, a buzz, that feeling that I could do anything. I was a ‘people pleaser’ and the drugs gave me energy to help others – what I didn’t realise was I was slowly killing myself."
In 2019 as Covid struck, the restaurant he worked in closed, as did the gym he was active in. The dad-of-three noticed his addiction began to take a turn for the worse during isolation. "I learnt about introducing structure into my life, to talk – it’s ok to not be ok and to ask for help, no one should struggle on their own. I began to understand and love myself."