From Lager to Water in One Year

Email To a Friend 11 June 2009 My life started going downhill when my wife filed for divorce. She also moved herself and our two children without my knowledge. Me and my wife Cindy have been married for five years and over the years, I admit that I have become very abusive to her a the children. I used to spend my time after work at the neighborhood pub drinking until midnight. When I was home I always had a drink and would scream and hit my wife for no reason. My two sons always used to run anytime they had to pass me in the house because they were afraid of my wrath. I became such an angry monster, throwing things and beating the kids.

The day I discovered that my family had moved from our house, I went to the store to purchase more liquor and discovered that the store was in the process of being robbed at gunpoint. I thought my life was already bad, but this moment proved that it could always get much worse. Luckily, no one was hurt.

After staying at the scene to give the detectives a report, I walked home with tears in my eyes. I was happy that I wasn’t harmed but I wish I had been. I threw my bottle of cheap cognac in the trash and walked into a church and cried as I prayed, on my knees. I wish I did things differently and realised that I had a problem. As I was leaving the church to go home, I noticed an Alcohol Anonymous pamphlet hanging on the bulletin board in the reception. There just happened to be a meeting that same night so I attended.

As I continue to go to meetings, I remain mindful of all the pain I have caused my loved ones. I have been clean for 350 days now and am working on repairing the relationships that I destroyed with my family. I have met some really great people at Alcoholics Anonymous that really help me to stay on the right track. I enjoy every moment in the meeting and anticipate them each week. I know that there is more work to be done and I am happy that this has actually worked for me thus far.

Hamish Pritchard, Coventry.

Bookmark this: