Forty-two-year-old Patrick has been sober for five months after receiving help from St John of God’s Pinelodge Clinic. 41325Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Lia Bichel
PATRICK had his first drink at the age of 17.
After several hospital visits, a broken marriage and a court order forbidding him to see his daughter, he had his last drink five months ago.
For almost 25 years alcohol consumed his life. But Patrick, 42, credits Pinelodge Clinic in Dandenong for helping him gain control of his addiction.
Patrick is joining staff at the St. John of God clinic, which has been running for 30 years, in urging people with drug and alcohol issues to turn their lives around in 2010.
Patrick, who wishes not to reveal his last name, picked up his first drink when he finished school.
He became involved in the hotel industry and was running pubs by the age of 19.
At age 20 he moved overseas, where he lived in a pub and ran a series of wine stores and bottle shops.
He served alcohol, and taught others how to drink it.
He would never worry about what he was going to eat, because alcohol was his breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Patrick was never a social drinker; instead he preferred to drink in the comfort of his own home.
“I would drink it before or after work, 7am or 7pm,” he said.
“I could justify drinking at any time of the day, but it was all a b……. lie.”
At his worst, Patrick was drinking about six litres of wine a day.
“I couldn’t drink beer because it would bloat me, and I didn’t mix drinks because I wanted to consume as much as I could,” he said.
Patrick said he knew he had a problem when his 14-year-marriage started to hit the rocks.
He sought help but was told he wasn’t an alcoholic; instead he just drank too much.
“That gave me the green light to keep drinking,” he said.
Four months after arriving back in Australia, Patrick moved in with a woman who was a heavy drinker, fuelling his addiction.
He decided to try and get help, but said he went into the program with a closed mind and within three weeks was drinking again.
Two years ago, he was refused access to his daughter through the courts.
Patrick’s battle with the bottle was the reason for numerous hospital trips, but it wasn’t until he broke his wrist that he decided it was time to get serious about getting help.
“I had a number of hospital trips that were alcohol-related,” he said.
“I never got in fights or had car accidents, but I had seizures as a result of drinking, numerous falls, slips and did silly damage to myself. Last year in January I fell on some stairs and broke my wrist. I had four pins stuck into it.”
A social worked approached him at the hospital and asked if he wanted to get help.
“I gratefully accepted,” he said.
“I was ready this time.”
Patrick spent 28 days at the St John of God Pinelodge Clinic, where he said he met people “just like him”. Through education, training advice and support he now understands his disease.
He said the help he received in the “second-to-none facility” has helped him to refrain from drinking.
“There have always been times, and always will be times when it crosses my mind to have a drink,” he said.
“But I know one drink is too much, and 10 is not enough.”
Patrick attends the clinic twice a week, as well as regular meetings for support and said he has never felt better.
“I feel fabulous and revitalised. I have regained physical strength and I have re-established my relationship with my daughter,” he said.
“I got to see the holidays with clear eyes for the first time in a long time.”
Patrick urged anyone who may have a problem with drugs and alcohol to reach out for help.
“Alcohol can affect anyone of any ethnicity, age, profession or culture,” he said.
“You have got to help yourself. Without my recovery I don’t have anything.”
St John of God’s Pinelodge Clinic in Dandenong is a specialist rehabilitation clinic offering residential and day patient/outpatient support.
The drugs and alcohol program is co-ordinated by a multi-disciplinary team including psychologists, a 12-step counsellor, nursing staff, art and music therapies and the client’s doctor.
St John of God’s psychologist Natasha Doulgeridis said it was important to help clients detox and rebuild their lives.
“It is extremely difficult to kick alcohol and drug dependency without specialist help,” she said.
“We tailor our program to the clients’ individual needs and work with them in a holistic way.”
Ms Doulgeridis said alcohol is the most prevalent drug of dependency, while prescription drugs are the second.
St John of God’s Pinelodge Clinic is a private hospital.
For more information phone 8793 9444.
