'I was a homeless heroin addict so I know anyone can turn their life around with the right support'

The system is set up to fail young people at risk. We need real reform. And I know what needs to change, writes recovery advocate Sean Kinsella

'I didn’t choose to be homeless at 14. I didn’t choose the violence, addiction, or instability that filled my childhood home in Ballymun.' 

I didn’t choose to be homeless at 14. I didn’t choose the violence, addiction, or instability that filled my childhood home in Ballymun. 

But when the system stepped in, it didn’t save me. It moved me. From one short-term placement to another. From emergency hostels to secure care units. From fear into deeper fear.