An Irish author who struggled for years with alcohol and drug use has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his book that tells his story of addiction and recovery. Tim MacGabhann says he was born missing a layer of skin that other people seem to have, meaning that everything just hit too hard. He says that around age 17 he broke into the drinks cabinet and felt completely safe. His memoir is entitled "The Black Pool: A Memoir of Forgetting". He spoke to us in Perspective.