I Needed Assistance For Addiction - Thirty Years Later I'm Running The Service

16 February 2026
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Elaine McGeeBBC News NI


Tommy Canning was 22 years of ages when he initially got here at an addiction support centre fighting alcohol and substance abuse problems - thirty years later on he's still there.


Now head of treatment at the centre he once attended as a patient, Canning helps individuals who remain in similar scenarios to his.


"It is an unbelievable chain of occasions that the boy who needed the service is now caring for Northlands Centre and bring the duty for it," he stated.


Canning stated his first-hand understanding and individual viewpoint indicates he comprehends what individuals are facing when they show up on the exact same doorstep he did all those years ago.


"I see it as my job to guarantee whoever comes through the doors gets the same level of care, treatment and hope of healing that I did," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today program.


Canning's connection to the centre which once helped him isn't special amongst a few of its staff.


Dean O'Hara, who has been in healing from alcohol dependency for 19 years, has a comparable story to inform having actually likewise gotten treatment at the place he now calls work.


"Giving back to Northlands was constantly in the back of my mind.


"With my own story and experience, I felt that it was the best suitable for me after my counsellor training," the 55-year-old stated.


"I've had my own journey and that lived experience helps."


Addiction support at Northlands


Established as a grassroots organisation in 1975, Northland's Addiction Centre in Londonderry has actually turned into one of the leading treatment centres in Northern Ireland.


Dealing with those who deal with drug abuse, alcoholism, and gambling dependency, it provides property treatment, non-residential programs, family support and an after-care program.


Around 800 people received non-residential care at Northlands in 2025.


That very first call for assistance is typically described as one of the most hard things an individual having a hard time with addiction can do, and if they make the call to Northlands, chances are they will discover themselves on the phone with Bernie Williamson.


The info manager supervises of handling the "relentless" demand for appointments and is often the first person to offer somebody in requirement a peace of mind that healing is possible.


"The phones in the workplace never ever stop," she said.


"It's really hectic. The calls and recommendations are originating from best across Northern Ireland.


"It can be really tough, however we do try to offer people reassurance and hope."


One of those individuals who when reached out for assistance is Thomas Campbell.


He pertained to Northlands in 2020 after losing "absolutely whatever" to alcoholism.


Almost six years later he stated the centre provided him his life back: "A life beyond my wildest dreams."


"I was homeless and had wound up on my own, my friends and family had stopped talking with me.


"At my lowest, I was drinking 2 bottles of vodka a day."


Campbell stated he sees addiction as a "terminal disease" and something that he will combat "up until the day I pass away".


"Addiction is killing individuals on a daily basis - services need to be supported better," he said.


'Knock-on effect'


Funding services like Northlands is an ongoing battle for those who run it, who stated what they get is not "even close" to what is needed.


"We need to look at the bigger picture here," Tommy Canning stated.


"People in recovery are no longer as much of a burden on the health service, the justice system or social services.


"For every single pound that's bought high quality dependency services, there is a substantial favorable knock-on effect."


Canning hopes that will continue to assist those in crisis over the next fifty years.


"I hope that we will be here to help the individuals that require us - a dependency centre of excellence serving people throughout Northern Ireland is the supreme objective.


"I like Northlands - for all that it does and for all that it has offered me."


Northlands at 50


Since 2014, Northern Ireland has actually seen registered deaths due to alcohol-specific causes rise by 81.3% from 219 to 397 in 2024, according to the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).


Funding provisions for a brand-new dependency centre in Derry were laid out in the New Decade, New Approach handle 2020.


Prepare for Northlands to relocate to a new website in the city as a dependency 'centre of excellence' have not yet progressed.


What does the Department of Health state?


The Department of Health (DoH) said it currently invests more than ₤ 35m in compound usage services each year.


"Decision making on investment in health services need to be informed by proof and be responsive to recognized commissioning priorities," a spokesperson included.


"It is essential to keep in mind that Annex A of New Decade, New Approach referenced potential funding for the Derry/Londonderry addiction centre but did not devote to funding specifically for the centre.


"Officials continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Office in this regard.


"The overriding objective will be to supply the finest substance use services possible within the readily available resources."


If you have actually been impacted by any of the concerns raised in this article, details about aid and support is available through BBC Action Line.


Alcoholism


Charities


Northern Ireland


Londonderry-Derry