Escaping addiction: Danny Shannon's path from heroin to helping others

Danny Shannon's life spiralled out of control when he became addicted to drugs at 14.

For 17 years, he spent his time in and out of prison, getting high, pursuing crime - anything - to wrangle up enough money to get his next fix.

"Desperation and the compulsion to get and use more substances" led him into dangerous situations, including escaping Sydney's Silverwater jail in 2001.

Today, however, he tells a different story.

On June 26 Mr Shannon spoke to about 30 people at Wodonga's The Cube, sharing how he escaped the throes of addiction and rebuilt his life to help others battling the same demons.

Now 25 years' sober, Mr Shannon is the founder of Encapsulator, a video journaling tool that has helped many to stay clean from drugs.

Mr Shannon said he began using drugs when he got caught up with the wrong crowd when his family moved to Bundaberg in Queensland.

Returning to Sydney when he was 16, he was introduced to heroin.

"I had my troubles up to that point, but it was the day I picked up heroin that my life really started to spiral out of control," he said.

"The day I picked it up, I just never stopped. I became this animal overnight.

"I was driven by this need to change the way I feel."

Mr Shannon spent his teenage years in and out of juvenile detention for theft and spent his 18^th birthday behind bars.

"Over the next 10 years I was in and out of custody," he said. "When I was out, I was living homeless, isolated, with no family or friends left in my life.

"I've hurt, stolen, and done all the shitty things that come with addiction."

Mr Shannon's attempts to get clean were frequent but short-lived.

"I often talk about doing 49 rehabilitation attempts," he said. "I was known on a first-name basis at all of Sydney's detoxes and rehabs.

"Finally, on my 50th attempt, something major changed."

It was Christmas day in 2009 and Mr Shannon was 60 days sober. Feeling immense shame following a family gathering, he contemplated relapsing.

"I was just about to go and throw it all away," he said. "I was going to buy some cocaine and heroin from Kings Cross.

"I stood at the turning point: to my right was Kings Cross, and to my left was a bus that was going to take me back to rehab.

"That day, I made a different decision for the first time in my life. I never had ever changed my mind before. I thought, 'you know what? I'm going to go back to rehab instead'.

"A miracle happened that day. I lost the obsession and compulsion to use, it completely left me within a few days. That was the day my life changed forever. I haven't come close to picking up a substance since."

When Mr Shannon was six years' sober, he felt the urge to record a message to his future self.

"I started the camera rolling, and immediately I just felt this really unique, awkward, weird moment where this is me talking to myself in the future," he said.

"I got quite emotional. I thought about my mum, my dad, and I just remember starting to talk about stuff that I've never spoken about before.

"I thought this would be an amazing tool to be able to give to other individuals on a similar journey, something to be able to look back at and track and reflect on their growth."

Encapsulator was born - a business that helps people document their sobriety journeys in a time capsule, allowing them to reflect on their progress.

"The programs basically ask you a series of questions that help guide you along on your journey of personal development and discovery," he said.

"These are the tools that have assisted me in my recovery. Hopefully they also allow people to live their best life."

Reflecting on his past, Mr Shannon believes his suffering has a purpose.

"If all of that was so I could help thousands of people kick the habit now, then it was all worth it," he said.

People can download the Encapsulator app for iPhone or Android at the App Store.