'Life is great now -- I'm getting stronger every day '
Grania (name changed) reckons that her addiction was caught just in time.
"I was lucky," says the 48-year-old. "I knew myself that I had a problem. I knew I could not deal with it on my own, because I had tried. I was not so sick. My liver function was a bit high, but there's been no physical damage and I am now very well."
Grania's drinking was out of control. She drank in hotel bars, in supermarket toilets, and at work. When she took voluntary redundancy in April, 2008, she'd drink whilst doing the housework.
"My children stopped bringing friends home, and my daughter (19), said she had no respect for me. That made me worse."
She went to Rolande Anderson for help in May 2008, but didn't want to go into a clinic. She tried to give up herself, but she just drank. It wasn't until January 2009, after a disastrous Christmas, that she agreed to go into St Patrick's.
"I did my four weeks. It was brilliant. Then three weeks afterwards I went to Paris with my husband. I got a gin and tonic at the airport coming home, and drank wine in the toilet on the plane. I got home, went out and drank lots of wine. I didn't get up for three days."
So it was back to St Patrick's for five days, and onto the relapse programme. Grania then completed the step-down programme and now attends aftercare, as well as some AA meetings.
"And I haven't had a drink since," she says.
"Life is great now. I'm getting stronger every day. Drink is not in the equation for me. I'm going to New York with my daughters in November. Eight months ago they wouldn't have crossed the road beside me."
Mary (name changed) went into The Temple Unit in February. She'd been drinking throughout her forties, and had started to drink alone at home too.
"I'd become very bad. My daughter went to my GP and I agreed to go in. There was a two-week wait for a bed, and I had a good few drinks before I got there.
"For the first three days, when I was on detox, I wasn't allowed my clothes. But then the programme started. There's group therapy and discussion with counsellors. You're in a cocoon with your meals handed to you. After four weeks I noticed my skin looked good and I didn't have red eyes.
"Afterwards I started the step-down programme. I started taking Antabuse tablets. You can't drink with them, because they make you very ill. But after a few weeks, I stopped taking them for two weeks, and then I drank. My daughter rang my counsellor, and I went into the relapse group for four weeks. That was humiliating.
"In relapse, they get to the core of everything. I had to tell the circumstances around my drinking. That was tough, but after four weeks I was allowed back to the step-down programme.
"I finished it two weeks ago. It was excellent. With Dr O'Keeffe, it is education every step of the way. I'm now starting in aftercare.
"Before, there was all the secrecy of hiding bottles and, occasionally, missing work. That was so degrading. I feel great now. I drink water all the time but it doesn't bother me. I feel relaxed now. Life is good."
Irish Independent
