Stephen Freer was running his own electrical engineering company and was surrounded by caring family.
He seemed to have it all.
But he was also addicted to alcohol and cocaine, and eventually his marriage collapsed and he became bankrupt.
He had lost everything.
It lead him to seek treatment for addiction at Coolmine Lodge in Dublin.
Watch: 'I needed help' - father on fighting back from addiction
It comes as the drug and addiction treatment service has reported a sharp rise in demand for care.
The Coolmine Therapeutic Community's annual report for last year, which was published this morning, shows a 35% increase in people it supported last year, compared to 2023.
The treatment centre supported 3,293 individuals and their families last year.
On his own story, Mr Freer said: "I started very young at work when I was just 15. I always wanted to have my own company and be my own boss.
"I put everyone else first and tried to please people."
When he had a successful electrical engineering company, it also brought pressures and stress.
He said "it all got to much".
"Drinking was one of the main things, which led to cocaine use," he said.
Mr Freer tried to drown out the pressures with drink.
He gave up on life and at his lowest moment he wrote a suicide note, not wanting to die, but said he was unable to cope.
"I knew I needed help. I knew I had to reach out," he said.
When he went to Coolmine, he had to work on recovery.
The 41-year-old said he wanted to change and now has life back.
His children are back in his life, he goes to the gym, does boxing and says he is doing the things he wanted to do, all his life, without misusing substances.
Number of women treated for addiction rises
The centre's annual report said the number of women supported was 1,396, which is up 11%, reflecting reduced barriers to treatment, such as stigma, childcare and domestic violence.
Coolmine CEO Pauline McKeown said that alcohol and cocaine remain the most prominent issues.
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, she said: "We're now seeing cocaine prevalence, the use of cocaine. We're seeing that crossing and straddling across all socioeconomic groups.
"So, we are needing to adapt services. We are needing to increase services and we need to have an eye and a focus to the fact that we need to have services, addiction services available in local communities, in rural areas, it's no longer just an urban problem."
Alcohol remains the most common substance for which people seek help, accounting for 35% of all presentations, down slightly on 2023.
It is followed by cocaine 32% of presentations, cannabis 11%, tranquillisers 8% and heroin 7.5%.
Read the full report here
Last year, 326 families accessed direct support including counselling, parenting and education.
There were 52 children who entered women's residential services with their mothers.
Ms McKeown said the increase year on year for women accessing services is "driving a commitment we've had for many years to reduce the barriers for women such as stigma, the provision of childcare and also the fact that they often will be coming from domestic violence.
She said the support encompasses a "whole of family approach".
"So, that's working with the adult who's been impacted by drug and alcohol use, but also supporting their children and the family.
"We're able to support people in recovery to be the best parent for their children and for that family unit with support to remain together.
"In doing so, we're actually able to break generational cycles of addiction in Irish society", she said.
She explained that the majority of clients that Coolmine works with have had a long time addiction, homelessness and have been in prison.
Ms McKeown said that addiction goes beyond the individual, adding that "families and communities are devastated by a growing impact of addiction across Irish society."
Coolmine has a large number of residential facilities and satellite clinics in Ireland.
It provides community, day and residential programmes across the east, mid-west and southwest regions.
