Alcoholics on the road to recovery

TWO EX-ALCOHOLICS SHARE THEIR BATTLE AGAINST ADDICTION AND HOW JOINING 'AA' HELPED THEM

- KATIE OBORN

CHRISTMAS and New Year can be a challenging time for many – especially for those fighting addiction. But Alcoholics Anonymous groups in Plymouth and beyond are on hand to help people everyday to change their lives in the battle against drinking.

The fellowship of men and women share their experience, strength and hope with each other all year round – and they want to reach out to anyone struggling with alcohol as the new year begins.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups meet and share their awareness and circumstances with a view to solve their common problem – and to help others recover from alcoholism.

One official from the AA organisation described alcoholism as an illness, but said “it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been drinking, or how much you drink. We’re here to help”.

She added: “Our purpose is to stay sober ourselves and help others who turn to us to get sober too. AA meetings are where you will feel supported, where you feel you belong. Anyone with a desire to stop drinking is welcome. Plymouth and the surrounding area hosts a meeting every day.”

Two AA members have shared their experiences with drinking and recovery, names have been changed in this article as anonymity is a vital part of the AA programme. One said: “My name is Dave and I am an alcoholic. I started going to AA just over 14 years ago, having reached a point in my life where I had become very sick and wanted to end it all.

“I always knew I had a problem but all other methods to stop or control my drinking had failed – GP visits, counsellors, mental health units, therapists and countless anti-depressants – despite the best efforts of many people, I just couldn’t stop.

“The problem was I could never drink safely or responsibly. Whenever I used to drink, I had little or no control over the amount I drank. Something happened which made it impossible to stop, and I always got insanely drunk and often behaved badly, sometimes recklessly.