Cuan Mhuire: Newry addiction centre marks 40th anniversary

“I hid a lot from friends and family. My day to day, it was constantly thinking about my addiction and when I was going to get my next drink.

“It was a very, very lonely world that I was living in. It’s not as easy as just stopping alcohol. I needed complete removal.

“A good friend of mine, who was a former resident, suggested I come here and it was the best decision I ever made.”

Ms Boyd continued: “I was very lucky when I came that I still had my family and my partner. I still had my job. My licence. A lot of people who come don’t have that.”

Ms Boyd said that entering the facility for the first time was “very scary” but the love from staff and volunteers was immediate.

“No matter where you come from, what religion, what race, they are here to look after you,” she said.

“I would say to anyone struggling with addiction that there’s no shame in it, it is an illness.”