Vincent, 43

The police officer who asked for help

Then

Vincent was a police officer and saw the consequences of drinking every week. Still, he drank every night to wash away the images from work. He became irritable and his colleagues were worried. He thought asking for help was weak.

The turning point

After a hard shift he was on the couch at four in the morning with a bottle. He thought about his own parents, who both drank. He didn't want to become like them. He went to the occupational doctor and got a trauma therapist and an addiction counselor.

Now

Vincent has been sober for four years. He talks about what he goes through now instead of drinking it away. He has helped colleagues ask for help too. He says: asking for help was the bravest thing I've ever done.

“Drinking to wash something away never works for long. Talking does.”

The people in these stories are fictional. Their experiences are based on what many people in recovery go through.

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