A dad who struggled with alcohol addiction for years said he is now "loving life" as he reaches five years sober.
Connor Derbyshire, from St Helens, began drinking socially as a teenager, but his relationship with alcohol soon spiralled out of control and almost caused him to lose his daughter. He explained how he would eagerly await payday to go out to the pub and spend his wages, until his drinking problem caused him to lose his job.
Speaking to the ECHO last year, the 26-year-old said: "I started drinking when I was about 16, I was never the typical type to go and sit over the park with people. I’d much rather ask my parents to get me some alcohol from the shop and drink it at home.
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"It seemed I loved the taste of it a little too much. There would be one day a week that I would drink when I was 16 up until age 18. On my 18th birthday, that’s when everything changed. I got my own ID and was able to get served in pubs."
Connor explained what a typical day of drinking would look like for him, he said: "A typical day I would always start with lager, I learned that four cans was never enough, and it was then cheaper to get a box of ten than it was for two packs of four.
"After the ten had gone I would go in search for more, whether it be to the pub or texting friends. If it was the pub I’d have a further two pints and then hit the whiskey, after the second whiskey I wouldn't remember anything."
His mental and physical health suffered as a result of his addiction, with Connor losing a considerable amount of weight. While at the height of his addiction, Connor met his now wife Victoria and the two now have a six-year-old daughter called Maddison.
He told the ECHO: " I only spent five days in the hospital unit because I would lie to the doctors by telling them I was fine. I came out and I married Victoria on April 22, 2017, and I was still drinking heavily. I had got to a point where no matter what I would do or where I would go I would get into trouble with the police or need care from paramedics after blacking out due to the alcohol.
"Social services got involved and I was very close to getting my daughter taken off me, that’s when I said enough is enough."
Now almost five years sober, Connor said he is now "on top of the world", he told the ECHO: "I’m still sober and I feel on top of the world. There's a couple of things I have noticed though as the days go on.
"I find it so much easier to handle difficult situations. Previously when I was drinking, if there was a time of stress, grief or anxiety I would turn straight to alcohol, now I don’t even think about it, I have developed so many coping mechanisms and ways to deal with certain situations. I will be five years sober in May and I’m really proud of myself. I never thought I’d get this far because I never had any faith in myself."
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