When Chris (real name not used) doesn’t have a drink he feels sick and dizzy and begins to sweat profusely. Unable to shower, Chris feels self-conscious about the way he smells.
For many people we support, their alcohol and drug use masks
emotional pain, anxiety and trauma. Many of our clients want to reduce their
intake but struggle with the physical and mental withdrawal effects. Alcohol
withdrawal can be very dangerous and can cause visual hallucinations and seizures.
Chris's alcohol dependency.
Chris has been dependent on alcohol for six years. He was
sofa surfing at friends houses but they asked him to leave due to his drinking.
With no recourse to public funds he wasn’t able to access housing support or
emergency accommodation. He began sleeping rough.
With no money of his own, Chris would beg to afford to buy
alcohol. He found this humiliating. He wanted to stop drinking altogether but
was frightened that he would start to have seizures if he tried on his own.
To avoid begging, Chris found a job in manual labour. This exploitative
job was cash in hand and Chris would often work for twelve hours straight for
just five pounds.
Chris felt trapped, embarrassed about his situation and
unsure of what to do.
We're supporting Chris.
We’ve been supporting Chris for over a year. We built up
trust and offered emotional support. A month ago, he agreed to visit a drug and
alcohol service with our outreach worker.
Chris now regularly attends appointments with them. He is
staying in a hostel that specialises in supporting alcohol dependencies. Chris
is currently doing a detox and plans to go to rehab soon.
We continue to support Chris and are beyond proud of him.
Good luck Chris with the next steps of your journey!