A dad whose life was ruined by addiction for 35 years has revealed it started with vinegar.
James Davenport, 45, suffered addictions ranging from food to drugs to sex and says the problem starts when he was a child.
The former boxer said by the time he was in secondary school he was sniffing aerosols, smoking weed and doing harder drugs.
He also struggled with bulimia, a battle he would endure for 20 years, Manchester Evening News reports.
The dad-of-five turned his life around in 2017 and now aims to support others.
James, from Salford, eventually sought help for his issues and turned his life around in 2017.
He now supports others with a recovery show online.
James, who is also known as Shinny, said he can pinpoint the moment the addictive behaviour began.
He said: "I used to steal it and drink it out of the bottle. With vinegar, I think I got a kick from it, a bit like with a chilli.
“I also remember drinking out of a dirty puddle and have only recently found out, during my recovery, that it was also part of the addiction.
"As I drank it, I remember thinking - I have made my own decision to do that and no one knows what I’ve done.”
James also admitted he turned to a life of crime and sold drugs, recalling he wanted to be the “most successful and most handsome drug dealer”.
He believes being estranged from his father as a youngster played a part in his own battles, which also include anxiety and depression.
He says he planning to take his own life but his love for his children is what made him decide to get clean.
James managed to turn his life around with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step programme.
Now James is using his experience to educate people about addiction through his new book.
Making Of An Addict takes the reader through James’ childhood and early adult life, delving deep into the immense struggles he faced as a result of addiction.
The book was released on Amazon on May 31.
James, who now lives in Cyprus, said: “My life has changed dramatically.
"I live out of the country, I’m in a great relationship and my life has gone full circle from drugs and alcohol to very successful through social media.
“We’ve got this book that can help anyone through addiction.
"It’s a bestseller – we knew it was going to be a push and an ask but for the last year I’ve kept it going and kept life going.
“After three days, we got to a best seller. It’s a self-promoted book. The next stage will be a docufilm to go into the education board and in schools.”
