On the 9th of May 2020 a group of us will be walking 26 miles around The Peak District 6 Dales Circuit to raise money for NACOA. 

I discovered the charity when I was 16 years old and wish i’d have found it sooner! I have always been quite open with people about my dads addiction, it has never been something that some people think I would be embarrassed about. Alcohol has taken over a huge part of my dads life as well as our family but i’m fortunate that he is currently recovering at this moment in time. It will never not be a constant battle for him to wake up in the morning and not be battling his addiction but will never not be a constant worry that me and my family also have from what alcohol can do. 

In September 2018 when my dad relapsed, I never believed he would recover and be where he is now, it doesn’t seem like a long time at all but it certainly is when you’re trying to hold on to something that’s so good in the moment of time. I saw him at his worst and when I see him doing well, I can never imagine him going back to the drink. From every detox and hospital admission and seeing him sleep rough, I thought the drink had finally won. I would never change anything about my dad, I just wish I could take it all away from him. My dad will always be how his is, when he’s sober, he’s at his best, my best friend and my biggest supporter but even with the drink, he is still my dad. 

Being a child of an alcoholic,  I feel as though i’m fortunate that it never ruined my childhood in some ways that it could have. I have never felt like I was different or wasn’t “normal”.  It made me grow up quicker but it also helped me with understanding those suffering with an addiction of any kind! 

Maybe I will forever have constant worry about the next time he relapses or watching his every move just to put my mind at ease just to know he hasn’t had a drink again and maybe I won’t ever want to look at a bottle of vodka ever again. But, everyday I am grateful that i’ve still got him around not matter what the situation.