Reach out for help: How drug and alcohol recovery services could work for you or a loved one

If you are worried about a family member or friend, or think you may be dependent on drugs or alcohol, support could be just one phone call away

Ben Bristow, from Reading, realised he had a problem with drinking and had tried to get help in his 30s. He became serious about confronting his issues with alcohol when he was 40; with the help of his GP.

Now aged 47, Ben, pictured below, has been sober for three years and eight months and has completely changed his life after seeking help.

“I was a bit of a nightmare, getting drunk all the time. I wasn’t arrested or fighting or anything like that. I was just a pain in the backside, so I’m very lucky my family supported me,” he says.

It all changed for Ben when his girlfriend left him. “We had a big bustup and she told me I was a very heavy drinker. I broke my hand after punching a wall and ended up in hospital.

“My GP was informed – when I went to my check-ups, we spoke about my drinking and he directed me to a local drug and alcohol recovery centre,” he explains.

Any health professional, including your GP or practice nurse, can help you to access the free expert services closest to you.

With the help of his key worker and by going to SMART recovery sessions, Ben managed to reduce his drinking then, at the same time as the centre was taken over by the service provider Change Grow Live, he reached a turning point.

“I thought ‘I’ve lost too much, too many friends and too many jobs’. I’ve had quite a few long-term relationships and most of those have been destroyed through my drinking. And that’s what’s changed. I was like, ‘I have got to get my life back together’.”

Ben says the future is a lot brighter for him. He goes out on walks, enjoying nature and life and now volunteers three days a week at the centre, and hopes to become a key worker in the future. “I wouldn’t have got sober without their help, and I wanted to give back what I’d learned to help other people in similar situations.”

He’s candid about his journey to recovery and the work it has taken to become sober: “You cannot, I believe, recover without being honest with yourself and those around you. You’ve got to realise where you’ve gone wrong. Be very honest with yourself.”

The centre that helped Ben is just one example of the many great treatment services run by different providers. If you are worried about yourself or someone else not only is getting help vital, it’s also free and it works.