John (34), Simon Community emergency shelter user
Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?
No, not with drugs and the way I’m living. I seem to have the flu nearly every week. I’ve been battling drugs since I was 17. I’m still on them, the heroin, but it’s not as bad as it used to be. I’m getting there, slowly but surely.
How often do you exercise?
I get a fair bit of exercise. I do a lot of walking during the day. I can stay here at night. It’s too cold now to be out at night.
Do you get your five a day?
There’s loads of fruit and veg here, it’s just that I wouldn’t be hungry. I’d eat my dinner here and then it would probably be rubbish during the day. I’m only out of prison about two months. A couple of weeks ago, I was in and out of hostels. I never slept out, but I could be waiting around until 2am for a bed.
Do you worry?
I worry about a lot of things. It’s my daughter at the moment – she’s acting up – and trying to sort out my own life. I haven’t bothered going for my own place yet – I still have a charge coming up, so there’s no point in getting locked up and having to start from scratch again. I’ll just wait and see what happens with that, then try to get things back on track, get clean, get my own place and get things sorted from there.
What do you do to relax?
At the weekends I take my daughter to the pictures, I look forward to that. Just taking her out for a couple of days, probably staying at my Ma’s for a night or two with my daughter. She’s 14, going on 30.
What’s your unhealthiest habit?
It would be the heroin. It affects my health the most. I was on crack a while ago and that f**ked up my lungs as well. It’s hard to stay off it, especially when you are on the street and have nothing else to do. I came off methadone, which was hard.
Simon Christmas appeal, simon.ie or tel: 1850-711811
In conversation with Joanne Hunt
