A North Belfast man who has been sober for 18 years this week, has now dedicated his life to helping others.
Darren Linton, from the Woodvale area, has opened up about his involvement in disorder in his home city of Belfast and further afield - the trouble, he says, was fuelled by alcohol. The 45-year-old began to drink when he was around 11, and what following in the years ahead was periods of turmoil.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Darren said growing up he looked at the British Army with admiration, and dreamed that one day he too could be a soldier.
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"Going back quite a bit, my earliest drink and substance use was when I was 11 or 12," he said.
"Thinking about it now, that is really young, and unfortunate but that is what happened with me. I started off with drink and would have smoked a bit of dope. I then got myself involved in football hooliganism, which was alcohol fuelled. I was quite a shy lad, and when I had a drink, I thought I could beat the world. I done things that I was uncomfortable with.
"Growing up in Belfast, and in my community, I saw the soldiers on the streets and I was always impressed by them. The British Army was something I looked up to. I aspired to do that, and to join the military. I wanted to be the best that I could be.
"When I turned 16, I applied to join the Royal Marines and went over for a PRC, and although I had the physical and mental ability, I was immature. They turned me down and told me to come back the following year. I decided to then join a Regiment that would take me, because I wanted to get out of Belfast.
"I went to London and my drinking really kicked off. I ended up joining the Military and served in Oman, and the Falkland Islands. I was in Kenya and Saudi Arabia. One night I went out and got drunk, I was remanded in custody. I pleaded guilty to violent disorder and ended up being dishonourably discharged from the military.
"From guarding Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, I found myself banged up in Reading Prison. I was remanded for two weeks and went back again and ended up in prison. That's something I have had to deal with, and hold on to for quite some time."
Darren says when he returned to Belfast, trouble continued, which left him with no choice but to leave Northern Ireland. That's when he found himself in Tenerife, and by chance, Darren came across a 12 Step Recovery Group - a group that would soon change his life completely.
"That group brought me into recovery and today, April 18 2023, I am 18 years off alcohol," Darren added.
"In that recovery group, I was so inspired by other people's stories. I came back to Belfast eight years later, because of an injury. It was then that I decided to go back to school and got a degree in Community Youth Work. I always wanted to help people, and discovered I was good at supporting people with addiction issues.
"From there, I started a wee business and I want to turn it into a social enterprise. I do it all part time, outside of my own work. Part of the deal I suppose, is that I tell my story, in order to help and inspire people. I want to spread hope, and show people that with positive choices, you can go on to do amazing things.
"My message to anyone who has found themselves dealing with addiction, is that there is help out there. It may take time, but people are there to help you, if you are ready for it. Put the ego in the pocket, and ask for help. You need to be willing to make that change."
On Thursday evening, April 20, Darren will host an event in the Spectrum Centre, on the Shankill Road. The event, called ‘Aspire to Inspire’, is from 6-9pm) and focuses on Darren’s inspirational journey of overcoming addiction, mental health issues and adversity to help others.
Joining Darren for the special evening, is Brian Armstrong, a youth worker who also speaks openly about mental health. Brian has hit headlines in the past for smashing a Guinness World Record for the most half Ironman triathlons in a single year.
In a testimonial to Darren's work, a Co Antrim man said he reached out to Darren on December 2012 after having trouble with alcohol.
"He went above and beyond to help me", the man added.
Homeless and bewildered, he took me to his home and gave me food, and found me shelter for the night at a hostel. He arranged to meet me the following day to help me recover from alcoholism and was true to his word.
"Through a series of events that followed this with Darren directly involved, his actions resulted in my life changing for the better.
"Fast forward 10 years of sobriety and I’m proud to call this gentleman my friend, my best man at my wedding, a confidant, a major part of mine and my families lives and a beautiful example of how selfless a person can be when those are in need. A true example of being of service."
Another man, Ryan from Derry, said it was "difficult to articulate" what Darren's support has done for him.
Ryan said: "Aside from on a online 1-2-1 basis through his own actions and behaviours he showed me patience, wisdom, kindness to others but as importantly to Darren, strength of character, endurance, tenacity and perspective.
"Most importantly I think the lust for life or enjoyment and appreciation for both the small and big things, good or bad things and ability to not only handle situations but learn and grow from them has been an absolute inspiration."
For more information on Darren's work, please email him on darrenlinton@recoverylifecoaching.co.uk or follow him on social media here. You can find tickets for Thursday's event through this link.
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