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Testimonial Graham
Jun
The Price of Drinking Too Much
Graham’s Alcohol Story
Graham had never had a problem with alcohol – until lockdown. His story is much like so many people who start drinking too much and let it get out of control.
He had been a social, casual drinker by his own account for the bulk of his life. “A couple of beers at the pub quiz and a glass of wine with dinner a couple of days a week was all it ever amounted to throughout my adult life.”
He worked hard all of his life. Graham recognises he has been lucky “I had a good upbringing, good education, and I am lucky enough to have had a good job for most of my life.”
So, when the pandemic hit, Graham, 58, took early retirement. “Although it may be a little early, I thought, why not? I had worked hard in my career, so maybe this was the time to enjoy the fruits of my labour.”
“The mortgage was paid off, and I had a decent-sized nest egg, so I could afford to enjoy a few more years, especially since my son had recently had a child of his own. It would give me time to spend with them… Not to mention getting in a few more rounds of golf!”
“My Plans Went Sideways”
However, it was not to be. An increase in his drinking derailed those plans. A previously moderate habit started to balloon quickly.
“I had so much time on my hands, and the initial lockdown limited my options. I had been so used to working all hours and socialising in the past that I did not know what to do with myself. That boredom led to drinking. Gradually that drinking became most of what I did.”
Sadly, Graham is part of a wider trend with early retirement and redundancy going up for the over 55’s. The ONS states that “The movement of workers into redundancy (including voluntary redundancies) in Quarter 2 2021 nearly doubled for those aged 55 years and over, compared with the previous year; early retirement also saw an increase during this period.”[1]
Alcohol consumption has also increased during the pandemic. “Data from a consumer purchasing panel that measures off-trade volume sales of alcohol shows that between 2019 and 2020 (before and during the pandemic), volume sales increased by 25.0%.”[2]
Graham found a few glasses of wine turned into a bottle every night. That is 70 units a week. The NHS recommends that both “men and women are not to drink more than 14 units a week regularly”[3]
The Price of Drinking Too Much
Soon, it was causing a strain on Graham’s relationship with his family. He was missing out on obligations with them and golf with friends even as things began to open again.
Irritable without alcohol and unpleasant on it, the problem took a heavy toll on his marriage. “We were around each other constantly, and we argued a lot. I would drink to take the edge off, and the drink-fuelled more arguing a vicious cycle.”
Watch: Channel 4 News
Alcohol Deaths Soar During Lockdown.
But it all got particularly bad one day. “I had been up late drinking, more even than usual and woke up late. I had plans with friends to go golf, but they went ignored as the hangover kept me in bed.
In the afternoon, Joanne reminded me I had agreed to pick up my granddaughter from school, I had completely forgotten, and I hurriedly got ready. As I got into the car, I realised I was still tipsy. I was not fit to pick up my granddaughter and take her home. The shame hit me, and I knew I had to do something to sort myself out.”
“I had started to reduce my drinking, but it was tough. I remember just how amazed I was at the difficulty of it. It had all ramped up and come to this in a year.
I started doing some research on getting better, and I did not feel I was bad enough to justify the time and money it would take to attend rehab. The waiting times for anything the NHS and my doctor could offer were not worth the waiting.”
“But it was my wife Joanne who ultimately came up with a solution that worked for me. Understandably unhappy with my behaviour, she had been doing her own research and had found and ordered a month’s supply of Desistal, a supplement designed to help reduce your drinking.”
“Irritable without alcohol and unpleasant on it, the problem took a heavy toll on his marriage.”
How Desistal Helped Me Stop Drinking
That help comes in the form of the 3 active ingredients of Desistal.
Bacopa Monnieri helps to reduce the negative symptoms associated with quitting alcohol by supporting brain function.
ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) provides a natural source of acetate to provide energy to the brain without alcohol. It can aid healthy digestion and support overall mental well-being via serotonin.
MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) is a unique type of fat transported straight to the liver, where it is metabolised to produce ketones, known to raise the NAD+/NADH Ratio in the brain.
Altogether, these ingredients combat the negative effects of alcohol withdrawal by acting as a replacement for the alcohol your brain has been using for energy, helping restore your physical and mental well-being.
“Taking it consistently really did ease the stopping, alleviating much in the way of side effects I had been experiencing. A few months on, and now I have so much more energy.
Success for Graham and Family
My marriage has improved. I know I am not the burden I was becoming anymore, and if anything, we are stronger as a result. I have spent more time with my family, and watching my granddaughter, and now a grandson, grow up with clearer eyes is a joy.
I joined an online support group too. I wanted something that was the right level and social group for me. It’s important to get a supportive group of people along the same lines as you.”
If any of Graham’s story sounds familiar, Desistal may be right for you or a family member. To help someone come off alcohol, order today at https://desistal.com/ or call on 0141 301 2279.
* The names and photos in the story have been changed for privacy reasons
Sources
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/changingtrendsandrecentshortagesinthelabourmarketuk/2016to2021
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-consumption-and-harm-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/monitoring-alcohol-consumption-and-harm-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-summary
[3] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calculating-alcohol-units/
