‘Look out for someone if they are heading down a slippery slope’

Donal Hanly, who battled cocaine abuse for 15 years and is now an addiction counsellor, has appealed to young people to look out for their friends who may be heading down a “slippery slope” towards drug addiction.

“What I would say to young people is to look out for each other. Don’t be afraid to hold each other to account and if you think somebody is heading down a slippery slope and you’re worried and concerned about them, say it to them. Because maybe that person is looking for somebody to say it to them. Rather than judging them, put an arm around them and ask them what happened to you? Are you alright?

“A saying which has never rang so true in society nowadays is that we have never had as much floor space but so few friends. Physical human connection is hugely important,” said Donal.

The Strokestown man stressed that unfortunately there are young people right now in towns and villages across County Roscommon who have issues with cocaine.

“The stories I hear now, once upon a time you would only associate with inner city Dublin, but it is now happening in rural Ireland – and it’s purely down to availability and accessibility of drugs. It’s a huge problem.

“Cocaine is now in every town, village and parish in the country and by staying quiet about it and saying it’s not happening, that’s a disservice.”

He highlighted that stigma and shame around substance abuse could unfortunately lead to silence. “If addiction is in the home, they might be afraid to say that my son or my daughter is addicted to cocaine.”

For parents or loved ones who have worries that their children may be using drugs, Donal points to some of the warning signs. “Financially the person might be working and earning a good wage but they may never have any money. Cocaine is a very expensive addiction and I was spending thousands on it at one stage.

“You might also see a person who takes cocaine and they become hugely talkative and the next thing, there’s not a word out of them.

“A runny nose is another sign of cocaine use as is someone who is constantly at their nose or fidgeting with their nose. Nosebleeds, loss of appetite and severe mood swings can be other tell-tale signs,” he said.

Donal wants the wider public to understand that there is always a human being at the centre of addiction. “Unfortunately, the symptoms of addiction are bad behaviours but that’s the addiction. So what I would say is hate the addiction but love the person.”

Based on his own life experiences, he is keen to share advice to anyone who is struggling with addiction or even experimenting with drugs.

“If they can avoid the temptation, brilliant. But if they can’t avoid the temptation, things can get really bad. It’ll get so bad that you would be willing to do anything to get your hands on money to get that drug or drink.

“And it can get so bad that you won’t want to live. The amount of people I’ve seen die because of addiction over the years is frightening.

“And if things do get really bad, I would say to people reach out and ask for help. You know, there is help there. It mightn’t seem like it when you’re in the throes of it but there is help there which can lead to a far better life.”

• If you’ve been affected in any way by this story, you can contact any of the following: Pieta House 1800 247 247; Samaritans 116 123 or Aware 1800 80 48 48. The HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline also provides confidential support, information and referrals to services. Call Freephone 1800 459 459 or emailhelpline@hse.ie.