I am not in the best way ATM, but unlike previous times I have felt this way I have made a different choice.

Rather than choosing to inebriate myself, I chose not to. I recognised how I would feel during and after the inebriation, and how I have previously felt and made a different choice.

So now I have been left to sit with the pain, but also to recognise that my pain won’t last (because it never lasts).

I can take good actions:
- I followed my crisis plan
- Undertook self-care
- I prioritised my mental health
- I focused on the good

If someones personality changes when inebriated, and they are always inebriated, than that is who they really are.

It doesn’t matter if they are ‘nice’ when sober, if they are rarely sober …

“I realised just how bad Dad's living conditions were about a year after his death. I was talking to a cousin of mine who had recently become a police officer. It’s not often that you get a chance to have a firsthand glimpse into the seedy underbelly of the society you live in ... “

In this episode, I share Ch 3, of Under The Influence - Reclaiming My Childhood,

In this episode I share chapter two of my first book 'Under The Influence - Reclaiming My Childhood'

“I always knew that my dad was an addict, but it took me a while to truly understand the difference between my dad and my friends’ dads. However, as I moved from primary school into high school, the differences became more and more apparent ...”

It is a real challenge to overcome addiction - it involves far more than simply ‘not using’. In this episode, I elaborate on that challenge as well as provide some advice for those who want to quit (or make any positive change in their life)