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basket we hope you enjoyed the podcast have a great day good evening on mike and i'm an alcoholic

thanks for the previous speakers i was quite happy sitting there listening to them but it's my

turn now and um you know if you knew, welcome,

like others have said tonight. I, like others as well, sincerely hope that you find here

what I did a little over 10 years ago. Wednesday this week, 10 years ago, was the last time

I had a drink. It was a drink like many others that had gone before it.

I was driving home from work.

The thought came into my head that it was a bit early.

It wouldn't matter if I popped in for a quick pint in the pub.

And I had an intention of just drinking one.

Should have known that wasn't going to happen, you know, but crazy thinking. I had an intention of just drinking one.

Should have known that wasn't going to happen, you know.

But crazy thinking, took that drink and went on a massive bender, you know,

and that was my history for 20 years.

I started drinking at the age of 14, and it was a bottle of cider in a local park with some mates from school and it instantly changed the way that I felt about myself. Do you know what I mean? I wasn't conscious of the fact that I felt insecure. I wasn't conscious of the fact that I didn't fit in. You know, I just didn't feel right. but having that drink just seemed to light up my life,

you know, and I was very ill. I remember going home, throwing up, the room was spinning, I was sweating,

but there was no, you know, there was definitely no thought of not doing it again, you know, I was planning it all ready to do it again the next Friday night, And that carried on for a few years, you know what I mean?

There weren't any consequences.

I was living at home with my mum and dad.

And, you know, it didn't change.

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