I started drinking when I was 14 years old. I finished high school but didn’t graduate. At 18 I entered the United Armed Forces where I made rank in minimum time drinking a maximum amount of time. I never missed a formation; I always showed up for work on time.

 

I knew I was drinking too much even then. So when I got married I said I wouldn’t drink. That lasted until the first fight, maybe 30 days. From that time on I continued to drink from the time I got off work until I went to bed daily without fail. I still worked in retail management running a grocery store.

 

During this time we lost our first house in a foreclosure. We had two beautiful children a boy and a girl. On more than one occasion I told myself I had a problem, but look, I had a good job that paid good money and I never drank before I went to work. I never drank on the job. The financial problems weren’t my fault it was the times.

As a result of the pay cut my world came falling down. I stopped drinking cold turkey, then one night on the way home I stopped at the local bar just to visit; I was entitled to it.

 

That started the last run. I was in a black out off and on for the next 90 days. The rent check bounced, I lost $1,000. I woke up and looked in the mirror and knew that it was life or death. I self admitted to treatment program On 15 Sept 1990.