Paul’s Diary: Aged 41:
It’s all in the head really – done this for 25 years – comas, collapsing, all sorts of injuries and I’ve had too many lucky escapes - been run over and that’s all been down to being smashed out of my skull - My luck is going to run out – my back is not too good either. So whatever anyone says or tries to blag – and I can blag with the best of them, I really needed to come on this detox. It was no secret I was heading for destruction – Donna collared me after a visit to the basement – she said: “I looked like shit” – gave me a cuppa and sat me down – Told me about the residential – that was two weeks before it started. She got me on it – Listen I was living in an old people’s care home mate - it’s where social services had chucked me. Didn’t really think about it until I got there, then I realised how low I’d sunk.
I’d visit my family and their kids would run away from me – saying I “stank of piss” – I made them ashamed of me. So it was stuff like that that made me say yes to this detox – but I’ll be honest I didn’t think this would work – but Donna convinced me and I had nothing to lose. So here I am.
So what’s all this been like?
Early on I thought: “What are we going to do next week when the ale runs out?”
But the way the reduction has gone I’ve coped with it – But I’ll be honest I was ‘clock-watching’ for that next bottle at times and I when I knew I wasn’t getting a drink I’d try to go to bed and sleep through it – even with the cold sweats. It got better, my sleeps have got better, my food intake better. Personal hygiene… all of it really. I’m dry and clean for the first time I can remember.
