‘You’ve got to make that first step’: Man who was hospitalised because of alcohol shares his recovery story this Alcohol Awareness Week
This Alcohol Awareness Week (6 – 12 July), Craig (44) is sharing his story of going from drinking 12 litres of cider a day to working as a group lead and allotment volunteer for the charity that helped him.
As the national campaign encourages open conversations about alcohol, Craig – who committed himself to recovery three years ago on 15 July – wants to make sure anyone who needs help knows it’s available at WithYou in North Lincolnshire.
Reflecting on his journey, Craig says, ‘You can have day one of being sober a hundred times but it’s getting to day two that’s the biggest thing. It doesn’t matter how many times day one happens; just keep trying as you will get there in the end.’
After losing his mum to cancer at just 12, Craig didn’t have anyone but a group of older boys who took him under their wing. He started going out and drinking regularly, by the time he was 20, he was struggling with a problem with alcohol.
‘It was just normal to me,” he explains. ‘At worst I was drinking eight to twelve litres of cheap white cider a day. I was drinking 24/7. I drank for years. I was married with four kids but my relationship was not great due to my drinking.’
He tried to get help but nothing stuck until at 41 he reached a crisis point. After being taken to hospital in an ambulance and spending ten days detoxing, Craig says simply, ‘I thought about everything. I chose recovery. That was 3 years ago on 15 July.’
With the support of WithYou in North Lincolnshire, Craig has now been sober for three years. ‘It’s the best thing I ever did,” he reflects. ‘Now I support people in the groups. I’m a group lead and work on the allotment.’
‘I love it here,’ he smiles. ‘I think it stems from my gran’s garden. I loved being outdoors. I believe it’s a connection with nature. We get a lot of people coming up here. They can just sit and chat, maybe pull a few weeds or plant something and watch it grow, as you grow.’
Last month, Craig won an award for volunteering with WithYou. Thinking about how far he’s come, he says, ‘I’m proud finally. Many people think that walking through that door is the hardest thing you’ll ever do – I always say it’s not, it’s coming back. You’ve got to make that first step. It’s a hard choice but it’s the right choice.
He looks around at the group of volunteers in the allotment. ‘You can see here that it can work.’
‘If you are experiencing challenges with alcohol, we are with you.’ Get in touch with WithYou in North Lincolnshire via the website – or by calling 01724 857 633.
You can also talk to trained recovery workers for free via WithYou’s webchat
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We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector.
This content was created on behalf of WithYou