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PAUL (53)* STARTED SNORTING heroin when he was 18. He had been involved with drugs before, and had grown up in a family where stealing was commonplace.
“I come from a dysfunctional family – where thieving was the norm,” says Paul.
So before I took drugs I was thieving from a young age and when I was about 18 I got introduced to heroin – back then you snorted it.
But I had seen over the years my friends die from it because needles were introduced then and people were getting HIV – thankfully I wasn’t involved with it then.
This was about 1988. In 1990, Paul moved from heroin to a more expensive cocaine habit. He would steal to fund his habit and his life suffered as a result.
My marriage broke up then due to my addiction.
I would take heroin, pills, anything to get stoned or feed the habit.
Eventually, he was sent to prison – but that didn’t help the problem.
I got charged – I don’t really want to say what I got charged with – I ended up in court, I ended up in custody for six months…
I had a 14-day detox that sent me into the most horrible withdrawals that I’ve ever had.
But still, when I got out of prison I still went back to heroin.
Paul’s life continued in a spiral of addiction and crime. In 2009, facing down a lengthy jail sentence for possession of firearms, and feeling suicidal, he finally realised that he needed proper help.
Coolmine Therapeutic Community
Paul first entered Coolmine Therapeutic Community on 10 March, 2009.
Coolmine Therapeutic Community is a drug and alcohol treatment service located in different parts of Dublin.
Established in 1973, it has an holistic approach to tackling addiction issues using the philosophy of the Therapeutic Community (TC).
This is primarily a self-help approach to tackling addiction, with staff/peers acting as facilitators of change – but the ultimate responsibility rests with the person themselves.
About half of Coolmine’s clients come from the prison service, with a significant amount of them living with long-term housing or mental health problems.
They are funded by a number of organisations including the HSE, the Department of Justice and the Office of Social Inclusion.
“I went into Coolmine to be a stronger person going into prison – not to be doing drugs – and to get a reduced sentence. They were the two main reasons,” says Paul.
“So I got in there and I saw a whole different outlook on why I was using drugs.”
I learnt why I used drugs – there was a lot of stuff I had kept inside, stuff from my past that I hadn’t told anyone since I was kid, things that happened that I wouldn’t have even told my family.
I blamed everyone for my addiction bar myself.
Paul finished three months at Coolmine Lodge in Dublin 15 before he went to prison to start serving his sentence.
The three months at Coolmine had a profound effect on him, he says, and he managed to avoid taking drugs for the over two years he spent in prison.
“For the first six months in prison I was living in a four-man cell and they were taking pills and heroin,” he says
I ended up getting respect for not taking anything – but it was always my determination to get back to Coolmine to finish out my therapy.
Pathways through treatment
Earlier this week, a study was launched which showed that 72% of Coolmine’s clients are still drug-free two years after receiving treatment. That figure rose to 85% when the clients had completed and graduated from the programme.
The pathways through treatment study was launched by Health Minister Leo Varadkar. Other notable statistics include:
Treacy Cagney, an outreach and clinical nurse manager at Coolmine for the past five years, says that the holistic, considered approach to tackling addiction is what works best.
“No two people are going to be the same here – and it is a case that you will have people with more complex needs.”
If you have a significant mental health issue, or a housing issue or a learning difficulty – which we see a lot – you are going to progress slower through the programme.
Treacy also says that people “slipping” from the programme and using drugs while receiving treatment is a common occurrence – but that factors like this are all part of trying to help people.
This is part and parcel of working with addiction and the people that we’re dealing with here have been in addiction for 10 or 15 years – so there’s a lot of work to be done to reverse patterns.
It’s not a case of just treating someone in addiction – you have to look at the core issues that are there: around trauma, around poverty, around lack of education… and the really poor health that people present here with… So you’re addressing many issues.
Coolmine also offers the only treatment centre in the country where mothers can go with babies – Ashleigh House in Damastown in north Dublin.
There are 10 beds at this centre for pre-school children to sleep while their mothers receive treatment, and there is also a full crèche service offered Monday through Friday, as well as facilities for older children to visit on weekends.
Treacy says that one of the main focuses of the Coolmine treatment is to break the cycle of addiction and drug use that blights entire families – to battle the revolving door system that people find themselves in: going from children’s homes to prisons, repeatedly throughout their lives.
“We need to get people out into education and out into employment – to start giving them another option.”
Another option
Paul stayed clean for the two years and four months he spent in prison.
When he was released, he returned to Coolmine to finish his treatment. He fully graduated the Coolmine programme on 5 September 2012 and has been clean since.
He now operates as a sole trader in construction and works nights at the Coolmine Lodge, working with others battling addiction like he once was.
He says that he owes his sobriety and life to the Coolmine programme.
“I help people out now. People would believe me if said to them I knew someone selling drugs – they know where I come from.
Well, now I tell them that this programme works, believe me – because I’ve done it all.
For Paul, stealing came before he used drugs, and much of his therapy was focused on coming to terms with things that had happened to him or that he had done in the past.
Now, he says his whole outlook on life has changed.
“I’d say it to lads every day I’d see working in the morning: ‘Just be grateful you can get out of bed.’”
They’d be moaning about the rain and I’d say that’s a bonus as well – that’s how precious life is.
You can’t look back on your past, that’s what I’ve learnt, because if you live in your past you won’t move forward.
“I’ve asked for forgiveness for it, anything I’ve done. Today I don’t hurt anyone, I don’t harm anyone. I’m there for my children and I’m there for my grandchildren, and most of all, I don’t hurt myself.”
*Paul’s last name has been withheld to protect his identity.
Anyone with an interest in the Coolmine Therapeutic Community can visit their website at www.coolmine.ie
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Good luck Shane Finn, fair play to you!
This is an addiction ! It’s very good for the charity but this mans health will suffer in the future. All these people running more & more races are damaging their bodies. It’s getting out of control. I hate being a kill joy but these athletes will suffer in the future.
@Martin Sinnott: 1 a year is what a dictor told me. More than that is bad for you
@Martin Sinnott: got any research to back any of your claims up?
@Martin Sinnott: Agree I ran two marathons. It’s all the training that’s the killer not just the race. I was out 4-5 times per week training for 9 months.
@Martin Sinnott: And whatevers ails these pioneers in the future will more than likely create a run to help them. I don’t know the man, I now know why he’s doing it, but to run 624 miles in a mere 24 days must justify something he REALLY STRONGLY believes in. All the best, and may GOD be with you..
@Shoot First: any actual medical evidence other than some article on a website??
@Martin Sinnott: you had it bang on with kill joy. You could have saved us all the bother by stopping there
Keep it up Shane, it’ll be an incredible achievement when you are done.
If he would of said even 10 I would of been thinking he’s mad . But 24 ….. God help his legs at the end of it .
Fair play to him for raising money for a much needed cause though .
Very fit or very mad, probably both.
Running marathon is an achievement. Putting ones life at risk to raise awareness and money for a charity is commendable.
But running 24 marathons in 24 days is simply self-harm and is possibly born out of an addiction.
Self-harm as a means of fund raising should not be endorsed or promoted by the media.
Some man, he’s running now as we speak from Balbriggan to Dublin. But for the record, there are even more mad people than Shane, let me mention Spanish man Ricardo Abat. He ran 500 marathons in 500 consecutive days. Yes no mistake here 5 hundred. To make it even more insane, the man did a part of it while having full time 8 hour a day job in the factory. Because he worked shifts on some days he completed two marathons in one day.
Absolute bonkers, but goes to show what human body is capable of. Now think about it when you’re too tired to walk the dog or play with kids after your 8 hours desk office job :)
@Tomasz Kuchnik: great comment. He’s obviously motivated by the suffering of his cousin who should be taken care better by our health services. The cuts have hit the least able to fight back. For shame.
Maybe the man knows the sacrifice he is making , and is willing to do it . However should he do a Forrest Gump , and keep on going , we’ll go with Mark Sinnotts’ comment .
Not very good for the knees or the ankles. Just go into the sports surgery clinic and have a chat with some of the patients.
@Tony O Neill: great comment. I bet you are a very active lad with loads of experience…
People who don’t run putting up stupid comments if you take it easy it does no harm to body didn’t back fella called Stevie in the last 2 year’s run 100 marathons in 100 days and 60 ultras ( 40 miles ) in 60 day’s, but all the couch potatoes will sit on their holes telling people running is bad for you, Fair play to this fella
@Robert Treston: Ricardo Abat, 607 marathons in 607 days. After he did his famous 500 earlier too.
Ard fhear Shane!
Wonderful effort. Glad to donate. But it’s such a pity that our government fails these people. That does not take away from his wonderful but painful endeavour. Best of luck.
There are too much of this on the roads with traffic backing up for ages especially on the ring of Kerry which sees runners doing it with their entourage. Cyclist are not too bad as going a bit faster and spread out. Tractors reversing around the 180km route is another one!
At least there hasn’t been a bed push in a while!
Well done to this chap
Hope it doesn’t put too much pressure on his ticker
Good cause – Totally stupid idea.
What’s stupid is the negative comments and the comments from non-runners etc. It isn’t harming you. It is his body his choice and if any of you even read the article properly you would have seen that he has successfully run 12 marathons 12 days already and that he is mentally strong as well as physically. It takes 60% mental strength and 40% physical strength. I personally know Shane. He has done a number of Ironman comps, marathons and he has prepared for this for over a year. He knows what he is doing. He is an absolute inspiration and legend. I am honoured to know him and run with him. He is so mentally strong and positive always. Best of luck with the rest of the challenge Shane
Absolutely amazing #legend just passed him going through kilmacanogue looking very comfortable well done Shane
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