"My name is Anthony, I’m 59, and I’m from Portsmouth.

I grew up watching my dad drink. Most nights, he would come home from work and sit in front of the TV, whiskey in hand, until he fell asleep in his chair. At the time, I told myself I would never be like him.

But life has a way of creeping up on you.

I have always been a hard worker. I ran my own business for years, putting in long hours and taking on more than I should.

People saw me as reliable, steady, the one who always got things done. What they didn’t see was what happened when I got home.
It started as a way to relax after a long day. A couple of beers while cooking, a glass of wine with dinner and some whisky later on. Over time, it became something I needed to take the edge off, to quiet my mind, to help me switch off.

I got good at hiding it. If my wife asked how much I had drunk, I would laugh it off or change the subject. If the kids noticed I was quieter than usual, I’d blame it on work stress. I even started topping up bottles with water so no one would know how much I had taken.

The truth is, I was using the same tactics my dad had used. Manipulating the truth. Avoiding blame. Pretending everything was fine while I slowly slipped further into the same pattern I swore I would never repeat.

The wake-up call came one Sunday afternoon. My grandson was playing in the living room while I sat on the sofa with a drink in my hand. He looked at me in a way I’ll never forget. Not scared, not upset, just… disappointed. He was only seven, but I could tell he recognised something. The same way I used to recognise it in my dad.

That night, I lay in bed thinking about the kind of example I was setting. I realised I had a choice. I could keep going the way I was and watch history repeat itself, or I could break the cycle.

The next day, I found Clear Minds. I read story after story from people who had been where I was. Some of them had lost everything before making a change. I didn’t want to get to that point.

I signed up for the Control Alcohol Consumption Essentials package and joined the support group. At first, I kept quiet. I wasn’t ready to admit how bad it had got. But over time, I started opening up. No one judged me. They understood in a way no one else had before.

I listened to the sessions every night. Some nights I fell asleep halfway through, but I would wake up feeling calmer, more focused, more in control. Slowly, the urge to drink after work started to fade. I began replacing that time with walks, reading, or simply talking to my family.

It wasn’t an overnight change. There were moments I slipped, but each time, I got back on track faster. The difference was I wasn’t doing it alone.

Now, I can see the change in my family’s eyes. I’m more present, more patient, and I’m building a relationship with my grandson that I am proud of. The man he sees today is not the man he looked at that Sunday afternoon.

When I started noticing the same patterns in myself that I saw in my dad, I knew I had to make a change. Clear Minds helped me do it."

We want to thank Anthony for sharing his story and showing that it is never too late to turn things around. His honesty will inspire others to take the same brave step.

If you are ready to break your own cycle and take back control, click below to learn more about the alcohol programme that helped Anthony rebuild his life.