After a hectic year, I realised the other day that I'd not written in my blog since December. This blog has been a huge part of my recovery for 3 and a half years, and I need to remember that. So, I thought now would be a good time to recap my journey since my … Continue reading 7 years since rock bottom: My journey so far
Tag: alcoholism
New Year’s Eve in recovery: Is it worth the risk?
So, once again it's New Year's Eve. A date in the diary where millions of people in the UK get drunk. This will be my 6th New Year's Eve sober. To me, it's just another day. I think, for anyone facing their first New Year’s Eve sober, that’s the key – just treat it like … Continue reading New Year’s Eve in recovery: Is it worth the risk?
Goals, alarm bells and recuperation
Since finally getting sober in 2016, I’ve been driven by a need to make up for lost time. I lost seven years to alcoholism. In my head, that meant that I was seven years behind everyone else my age. I labelled myself an underdog – and that self-evaluation has done me wonders. There is an … Continue reading Goals, alarm bells and recuperation
5 Years sober today – I have my life back!
Half a bloody decade! I just want to use this milestone to remind everyone that no matter how bad it gets, there is always a way back. I never thought I’d emerge from the depths of alcoholism. I’m not ashamed to admit that; I was beaten. My health was extremely poor, I had absolutely no … Continue reading 5 Years sober today – I have my life back!
Drinking to forget
It’s now been around 15 months since we first went into lockdown in the UK. During that time, many of the alcohol support helplines have reported huge increases in the number of people reaching out for help. According to research by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, nearly 8.5 million adults were drinking at high risk … Continue reading Drinking to forget
The Truth About Alcohol Withdrawal
Whenever I’m approached for help by someone who is struggling with their drinking, I always ask the same question before anything else – ‘do you suffer withdrawals when you stop?’. If they’re unsure, I go on to ask how much they’ve been drinking and how many days, weeks, months they’ve been drinking at that level. … Continue reading The Truth About Alcohol Withdrawal
Death by withdrawal
I have learnt a lot on the road to sobriety, many of these things I have learnt the hard way. One being that if you are heavily dependent on alcohol and have been drinking hard for a long period of time, it is very dangerous to just stop! Going cold turkey can lead to severe … Continue reading Death by withdrawal
Rehab and ‘the seed’
Its been five and a half years since my first three month stay in rehab. At the time, I was 23 and the youngest resident. As you can probably imagine, it was a strange environment to walk into. There were residents in rehab from all different walks of life, such as army vets, a pub … Continue reading Rehab and ‘the seed’
Acceptance was key for me!
Happy new year everyone! This is probably the most excited and optimistic I have ever been for a new year beginning! Slowly but surely, I’m piecing my life back together, baby step at a time, as I have been doing for the last two and a half years. 2016 seems a lifetime ago now! It’s … Continue reading Acceptance was key for me!
A little bit of my story
‘It’s 5:30am on a Wednesday morning as I wake. I have an indescribable feeling of sickness in my stomach. My hands and legs tremble as I struggle to raise myself to a seated position. You can’t see the bloodshot in my eyes as the whites are now a dark yellow. The withdrawals are already well … Continue reading A little bit of my story