Former Dundee footballer John Carling thought he put a vicious stabbing attack aged 14 behind him.
By his late 20s, he thought he had everything: a family, earning a six-figure sum annually and a prominent position in a successful business after a short football career.
But by his late-30s that all came tumbling down, culminating in a bizarre night in 2013 when he found himself drunk and arguing with staff in a KFC — while in possession of a knife.
He was jailed for 23 months, forcing him to face up to years of alcoholism and resulting in him losing contact with his two daughter. It also cost him his job, and made him tackle the PTSD he had been unwittingly suffering since the knife attack in 1989.
Now having served his time, he is working with Recovery Dundee and hopes sharing his experiences — including an arrest for drink driving — can help others suffering with substance abuse and mental health issues.
“I’ve been through hell for the past five years,” the 43-year old said.
“When I was first arrested for drink driving I was 38 and had never been in trouble with the police before,” he said.
“I’m embarrassed about what I’ve done, but I’ve come through the worst of it and I want to do some good now.
“Everything that could have went wrong in my life did go wrong. I have not seen my children in six years.
“I’ve seen some people really struggling with substance dependency in prison.
“I was quite lucky that most of the guys were interested in football so wanted to talk to me about that. I even ended up leading the prison football team.
“But it was still a horrible place to be.”
A promising career in football, which included spells at Dundee and Arbroath, was cut short at 24 due to injury problems.
From there John moved into business, thriving in an Edinburgh-based consultancy firm. As he climbed the corporate ladder he was earning six-figure salaries.
But the days of first-class travelling and champagne lunches came to an end because of his heavy drinking.
He now realises a lot of his issues stem from not dealing with the attack when he was just 14-years old.
Stabbed 10 times in a random attack, he needed a six-week stay in hospital to recuperate. But while the wounds healed, he buried the emotional trauma as “you just got on with it” in those days.
He was shocked to be diagnosed with PTSD nearly 30 years later.
“I couldn’t believe it,” John said.
“But once it settled in I knew it was true. There was no help for trauma in those days. I just got on with it. That’s how it was.
“Even though I built this incredible life before I was 30, I was deeply unhappy and turned to drink.
“There was liquid lunches all the time and I let that culture carry me away. I would often drive to Leeds from Falkirk, where I was living at the time, hungover at 4am.
“I remember the point when I realised I needed help. I was in my suit under a tree in the rain one afternoon, necking a bottle.”
John has now been sober for more than two years and is working with Recovery Dundee to help people wanting assistance with addiction and mental health issues.
He added: “I’d like to do talks at schools and work with young footballers so they can learn from what I’ve been through.
“If sharing my story can help just one person then it will be worth it.”
