Drinking wrecked my life

Kieran lives alone in a small flat in Catford, South London.

Five years ago, the 34-year-old was happily married and earned good money working as an accountant, but drink changed that and left him fighting for his life.

“I’d always been a pub man,” Kieran admits, “but while most of my friends grew out of getting drunk every night, I never did.
“If I couldn’t find someone to go for a drink with, I’d go alone – drinking between six and eight pints every night of the week.
“My wife seemed to tolerate it and I was able to do my job, so I never thought it was a problem.”

But, as he got older, Kieran’s weight started to increase and so he turned to spirits, thinking they would be less fattening than beer. Within just a few months, however, he was drinking lethal amounts and his life had fallen apart.
“I was drinking something like a bottle of vodka a day and I lost all interest in work.
“My employer had no option but to sack me and after putting up with me for so many years my wife eventually decided enough was enough and left.”

With no work or wife, Kieran’s life became one long binge. He was barely eating and seemed to live on his sofa. He would get the shakes if he didn’t have a drink and days blurred into one.

His parents eventually persuaded him to seek help, and when the doctor examined his ravaged liver Kieran was warned that if he carried on drinking he would die.
“That was the jolt I needed,” he recalls. “I started going to a counselling group, talking about the reasons why I drank and sharing my story with people in a similar situation. Nobody judged me and everyone was supportive. It was a massive help.
“I moved in with my parents and found a job in a sports shop. This was a really painful time, fighting the desperate urges to drink, but with the support and effort I received from everyone, it got easier as the months went by.”

Keen to put his old life completely behind him, Kieran has now retrained as an electrician and begun a successful new career. To repay the volunteers who helped counsel him, he raises money for alcohol charities and has spoken to alcoholics at meetings about his experiences.
“It’s not much,” he says, “but if I can save just one person from going through the hell that I did, then it will have been worth it.”

Signs of alcohol dependency

• Alcohol becomes more important to the person and other areas of life, particularly personal hygiene, are neglected.

• The alcohol itself becomes more important than the environment or the company. People may become happy to go to the pub alone, or drink a lot at home.

• The person becomes tolerant to alcohol and has to drink more to get the desired effect.

• There may be withdrawal symptoms like the shakes, sickness and anxiety.

• To relieve these symptoms the person drinks more, or drinks early in the morning.

• The person says they “need” to drink, and gets upset if they can’t.

If you’re worried about alcohol try the following for help and advice:

Drinkline – 0800 9178282

alcohol concern

Alcoholics anonymous or you can call them directly on 0845 7697 555

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