A NORTH Belfast man is set to run the Belfast Marathon on Sunday to give back to an addiction treatment centre that "saved his life".

Gareth Madden (32) from Ardoyne says he "fell in love" with cocaine before becoming addicted. He said his addiction spiralled during the Covid pandemic when he was forced off work.

"I'm from a working-class background in North Belfast and drugs and alcohol were everywhere from a young age," he explained. "I started drinking aged 11 and aged 24 started on drugs. I chose to use them and unfortunately it got its hooks into me.

"I constantly wanted to chase that high feeling but I had to keep taking more to satisfy my high.

"I was introduced to cocaine and fell in love with it, a strange thing to say but I loved how I felt when I took it. It gave me energy, a buzz, that feeling that I could do anything. I was a people pleaser and the drugs gave me energy to help others – what I didn’t realise was I was slowly killing myself."

Gareth was working in the restaurant industry and was a PT for a local gym, he was working long, often anti-social hours, on average 90 hours per week.

"I used alcohol when I got home to wind-down. I got home late; my wife was usually in bed so I would play my PlayStation and drink. Once tired, go to bed and start again – cocaine for breakfast.”

Gareth thought no-one noticed but they did. He hid the extent of his drug taking well, but it gradually snuck up on him, especially when finances were being questioned.  Then in 2020, Covid struck, the restaurant was closed and the gym he was active in closed too. As a married man with three children his addiction took a turn for the worse. 

Once places started to reopen he tried to stop, attending local AA meetings but he was still highly addicted to cocaine and help was badly needed.

“One day I stumbled into a local church, asking for help," continued Gareth. "I walked home and my mum told me she had been talking to Cuan Mhuire in Newry and that I was to call them and ask for support. This was the sign I needed. 

"I finished the treatment programme in May last year. I realised then that I need to get clean away from general society, with no distractions. I learnt about introducing structure into my life, to talk – it’s ok to not be ok, and to ask for help, no one should struggle on their own.

Gareth now has an active life again, being a dad and going to gym sessions at Struggle the Strength in Newtownabbey for his wellbeing. He also enjoys his job as Manager of The Burger Club on the Cliftonville Road.

As a gesture of thanks for their support, Gareth is running the 26-mile Belfast marathon on Sunday to raise money for Cuan Mhuire, Ireland's largest voluntary provider of aAddiction treatment services and residential rehabilitation.

“Cuan Mhuire saved my life and gave me the tools to live again which is my reason for wanting to do the Belfast Marathon. I hope the money I raise can help others struggling with addiction and my story can raise some positive awareness that drugs and alcohol addiction destroy lives, not just your own but those around you."

Gerry McElroy, CEO of Cuan Mhuire said. “It is wonderful to see that ex-residents want to support the charity that supported them on this life-changing programme.

"Cuan Mhuire last year had 2,324 admissions from all walks of life with drug, alcohol and gambling addiction.

"The demand for its critical services has never been higher and as a charity, its funding needs have never been greater in order to continue its work in supporting residents, upgrade our centres, and training and maintaining critical highly skilled staff."

You can donate to Gareth's fundraising effort for Cuan Mhuire here.