Don’t wait until it’s too late
I saw your request for articles in Roundabout and decided to write.
I want to simply share my story so that so that by reading it, it may have a positive impact on people struggling with alcohol.
I write this letter from HMP Barlinnie. I am not far from release and will be facing major challenges shortly. I grew up in Northern Ireland, I’m from a working-class area; my parents worked hard and they liked a drink, as did all my close adult relatives – so drinking large amounts at the weekends was normalised for me. Fast forward to my teens and the hedonistic rave scene was very prevalent in my life. I never did drugs but I did drink from a young age, as did my friends.
I joined the army in my late teens and saw combat in Iraq. There is a big drinking culture in the army and I used drink to hide how I felt about my experiences in Iraq. I left the army and managed to get a job, I got married and had a daughter, but I then noticed that my drinking had mood swings that weren’t normal – I needed help but I found myself justifying my poor behaviour. To cut a long story short I found myself divorced and leading an immature-minded single man’s life in my 40s. I was fooling myself I was okay. At age 42 I found myself in the dock in court facing prison time. It took for me to come to prison to realise alcohol was controlling me and had me on a mission of self-destruction. Don’t wait until it’s too late take the steps and be honest and also brave.
There is also a need to help prisoners with alcohol addiction in Scotland. I had to do the 12 Steps with a chaplain who has lots of people needing his services. Please send help to the prisoners of Scotland.
Take care.
JJ
HMP Barlinnie
Members
- Contributions
- AA Meetings
- Survey
- Document Library
- Regional and Intergroup microsites
- Group Information – Registration and Update Meeting Form
- Service
- Fellowship Magazines
- Conference
- Events
- Helpdesk
- Daily Reflections