A Co Tyrone man has opened up on his battle with addiction to alcohol as he launches a new podcast about mental health.
Darryl Quinn, 34, from Dungannon. spent many years busking in cities around the world, but ended up hitting ‘rock bottom’ in Australia when he was forced to live on the streets after a break up and being kicked out of his home.
After moving back to Northern Ireland, Darryl says his struggles with alcohol continued and culminated in him checking into a rehab clinic one year ago.
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His most recent relapse saw him arrested after a drunken binge three months ago, and the Co Tyrone busker says it is a constant battle to stay sober.
Having spent time busking across the world, Darryl also featured in reality TV shows such as ‘Beauty Queen and Single’ and ‘There’s no place like Tyrone’.
“All of the travelling and busking was brilliant, I was living the dream but on top of all that I was drinking every day,” Darryl told Belfast Live.
“Once I got to Australia that all started coming to a crescendo and I basically hit rock bottom when I lost my girlfriend, lost my house and I was pretty much lying on the streets.
“That’s when I realised that I had a massive problem and I need to sort my life out.
“When I moved back home I would have stayed off alcohol for short periods of time and getting drunk for periods of time and just going back and forth like that.
“This time last year I ended up going to a rehab facility in Newry to try and sort it out, and I year later I think I have got to a much better place.
“I have had a couple of relapses since then. I hit rock bottom again three months ago when I ended up in a police cell and all the things my family and friends are telling me are absolutely right.
“It took me to go into the drunk tank in a police station to realise that for myself, that I could end up in serious bother, either dead or in jail if I don’t turn my life around.”
Darryl says his experience of going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings encouraged him to start his new podcast, called ‘Get The Finger Out’.
“I started going to Alcoholics Anonymous to start to share about their experiences, and that helps other people in the room as well as the person themselves,” he says.
“I just felt that those rooms were so helpful for me, but they would be so helpful for other areas of life, not just alcoholism.
“In the modern day we don’t have too much of that going on. Especially here in Northern Ireland I don’t feel there is enough of an open dialogue about mental health and addiction.
“We seem to be getting a bit more open now as time progresses but I think as people we are still quite closed.
“I just feel that starting a conversation about it on a podcast is not only helping me but can help others as well.”
Episodes of Get The Finger Out are available now on Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube.
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