"Alcohol Detox"

I'm 34 years old. I have enjoyed having a drink since being a teenager. I have always been a pretty anxious person and I would often have a couple of drinks to calm my nerves if i had plans for that day. 

 As I got into my late 20s I realised I was drinking daily. Over the last four years or so it just escalated and gradually got worse over time. I found myself going from medium strength beer, to stronger strength cans and then mainly onto spirits. Around three years ago I realised I was dependent. I was needing drink just to sleep or to have an appetite. I felt moody if I hadn't had a drink and it was affecting my relationship and home life in general. Up until the week I started my detox I would be on 20+ units per day, I couldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours without waking up sweating, shaking, wretching and needing more drink just to not feel ill.  

I contacted CGL as I was now desperate and I had an assessment over the phone with a lady called Carol. She then put me in contact me a man named Stuart. I explained my situation and how I really thought I need a detox to break the drinking cycle. He was great with me and told me he would send the report to my doctor and get back to me.  

I was successful in getting a detox and the relief of that alone was massive. I knew I now had a chance to sort my life out.  

I met with John three days before my detox started. He dropped off equipment and went through what to expect and that was really helpful and reassuring.  

The detox started on the Monday morning. I was pretty much out of it the first day, nodding quite alot but I felt OK and relaxed and it was going better than I had expected. John checked on me in person and we had a decent chat. Stuart was on the phone twice a day, checking on me, taking my blood pressure and temperature readings. From day two onwards I continued to take my medication and I felt fine! I couldn't believe how manageable the detox was. I was expecting a struggle and it was the opposite. I kept waiting for a bad day to happen but it never did. I was never once feeling bad.  

I have now completed my detox and I feel like a new man. I am happier, I feel so much healthier, I am sleeping and eating. The shakes have gone. I am finally rid of the alcohol and I have never felt better.  

A big thing I want to mention is the fact it was a home detox. With me being anxious, I would have felt so much more nervous and worried if I didn't have the chance to do it in my own home. It made it so much easier for me. Home detox should always be an option in future for people in a similar situation.  

I want to say a massive thanks from top to bottom to everybody at CGL for helping me get rid of my addiction. Two people I really want to single out are Stuart and John.  

Stuart was great on the phone, very calming and full of knowledge. I would ask a question and he would always be very informative and always have time to speak for as long as I needed.  

John was great and from the minute I met him I knew this guy was going to be a big help to me, and he was. He was very open and honest about his past and everything he was saying I could relate to in some way. Having somebody who was once in the position I was facing and who had overcome the same problems was a massive plus for me. John is very passionate and I can tell this is more than just a job to him and I've taken alot of things on board from what he has been drilling into me. John has offered to continue supporting me should I need it which is reassuring.  

Thanks for literally saving my life.