Duncan Swan is a recovered alcoholic. By his own admission he was a ‘monster’ and years of abusing his body had left him with ‘nothing to live for’. Here he give you 6 reasons to get help for an addiction.
Thankfully, someone from Delphi managed to say just the right thing to Duncan at just the right time to give him the smallest light at the end of a very long tunnel.
If there is any bit of your conscience that knows your drinking or using isn’t under control, here are 7 reasons to get help for an addiction, as told by Duncan.
- There’s a good chance you’ll lose your job and your house
“I was a stage manager, touring the world. As my drinking increased, my performance decreased but in a way that wasn’t apparent at first. Ultimately, I became harder and harder to work with until eventually I wasn’t capable of doing my job and I was let go.
After getting, and then losing, other jobs, a friend gave me a chance working in his hotel but again, as my drinking was increasing, I became incapable of doing basic tasks and lost my job there too”.
- You could lose EVERYTHING
“I was on a helter-skelter to nothing.
My wife left me, taking with her our daughter, and I was sleeping on my dad’s sofa. Then it gets blurry, I spiralled. There were 4 or 5 months of permanent drunkenness, and my body was in pain.
Within a few years, I went from everything to nothing. I ended up in A&E when I was broken and was put in the mental health unit as I was suicidal. At that point I felt absolutely convinced that I had to end it’.
- “You might not be as lucky as me”
“When I was on suicide watch, a woman from Delphi with the most beautiful heart came to see me. She spoke to me in a way that landed with me and managed to say something that just gave me the smallest bit of hope that this wasn’t the end. I feel so lucky that she came to see me that day because I know if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here now”
- You’ll destroy the people that love you
“When I was offered a place in rehab, I called my wife. She had left me, which I don’t blame her for doing at all – but she still loved me. She said to me ‘if that means you coming back to us, please take it.’ The truth is I had been hurting the people who loved me for a very long time but I just hadn’t accepted that fact.”
- You’ll learn how to become a better person
“When I imagined rehab I thought I was going to a country house full of rock stars, and despite having lost everything by that point, I still didn’t think I needed help.
It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, and I hated it at first. I wouldn’t drop my guard and wouldn’t open up. Then in one session we did a bit of work which suddenly made it all make sense. I realised I needed help and these were the people trying to give it to me.
I learned to shut my mouth and to listen.
Yes, rehab was about stopping drinking, but ultimately it’s about so much more than that – it’s learning about your own head, why you do things and why you behave the way you do. Quitting the drink becomes just part of becoming a better person. I needed that kicking to get back to reality and it saved my life”
- Life becomes ‘unimaginably good’ when you’re not drinking or using
“I’m back with my wife and I spend the most amazing quality time with my daughter – there is no better feeling in the world than when that little girl gives me a hug. I have a pride in myself which I had lost and life is now unimaginably good’
I still go to group three times a week to build my tool belt of recovery and I’ve got a healthy fear of relapse. I proudly count my days of sobriety, and I’m not giving it up for anything or anyone! I’ve become the nice person I knew that I was, but he had gone missing for too long.
The people in rehab who saved my life are now my mates – and that’s what they did, they literally did save my life. I’m happier than I have ever been.”
You don’t need to find yourself in A&E before seeking help.
If you feel you need additional addiction help, our Outpatient Community Detox is totally discreet and tailored to you. You don’t need to ‘check into rehab’; you detox from home and the treatment is flexible around your life.
Get in touch today for a call back from our friendly, discreet and experienced professionals.
*for heavy users/drinkers, suddenly stopping can have negative health implications. Seek medical advice before ceasing completely. The NHS has lots of information and advice for anyone seeking addiction help.
