It took the death of her brother three years ago for Grace (34) to be offered treatment for her then 12-year heroin addiction.
Carl (27) died on May 29th, 2000, one of eight heroin users who died as a result of taking contaminated heroin that year. Another brother was extremely ill as a result of the contaminated batch. "Two of the doctors in James's turned around to me after that and said if there was anyone else in the family using they had to get treatment immediately.
"There were seven of us and we were all using, so it took the death of my brother to get us treatment. So he didn't die in vain, but I went into a black depression after his death."
At the Merchant's Quay drug treatment project in Dublin yesterday, the gentle, sometimes weary-sounding woman says if it wasn't for the stabilisation programme she was on there, she would not have broken out of her depression and might have relapsed into heroin use.
She was referred to Merchant's Quay last year having completed two years on methadone at the State-run Trinity Court.
"At first I couldn't even talk I was so depressed when I came here, couldn't go out. I had no friends, no social life because you lose the friends you had before you were using. And when you're getting off drugs you don't want to be around the people you used to hang around with when you were using.
"But here, I have a focus and I've begun to get my confidence back. I can even go into town on my own or go in somewhere and have a cup of tea on my own."
The stabilisation programme also offers one-to-one counselling and group therapy.
"My dad drives me in some mornings and you see addicts sitting about on the streets and he says, 'Look at those beautiful young people, fine young people. Wouldn't you think someone would try and give them a chance?' It is an awful waste, the ones who can't get help.'"