Rehab scared me out of my wits – now I work there

A man who was dependent on alcohol for decades said he was "scared out of his wits" the first time he went into rehab and "walked straight back out again".

Geoff, from Wellington in Somerset, started drinking as a teenager and only realised he had a problem when he "had to have a drink every day" because otherwise he would feel unwell.

Referred to the Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service (SDAS) by his GP, he said: "There was fear, there was embarrassment and I was scared of not being able to have a drink as well."

Geoff, who now works for SDAS, spoke out as Somerset Council launched an anonymous survey to find out what is stopping people from accessing alcohol support.

Geoff said he started drinking in his mid to late teens 30 years ago and "very, very quickly it became a problem".

"I lost jobs from it on a regular basis and towards the end I could see the embarrassment from my children," he said.

"Something clicked and I hit rock bottom – and a little bit further."

Unable to "go one day without a drink" he went to see his GP, who referred him to the SDAS, which is commissioned by Somerset Council and run by the charity Turning Point.

"When I did walk in [to the SDAS] I was absolutely scared out of my wits the first time, and I walked straight back out again," he said.

"I went back a week later and they were so patient and it was totally different to what I expected."

Now, having gone through seven detoxes, he has not had a drink for more than five years.

Speaking about Somerset Council's survey, councillor Graham Oakes said: "Not everyone who could benefit from support for alcohol use feels able to come forward, and that is something we want to understand better.

"This survey is an opportunity for people to share their experiences honestly and anonymously, whether that is about their own drinking or someone close to them."

Dr Nina Putnis, public health consultant at Somerset Council, said people "might be nervous about being judged", might not know how to access the service or "might feel that stigma".

"People might not be sure if their drinking is serious enough, people might be worried that the service will tell them to stop drinking completely – which isn't the case," she said.

"It can be really challenging for people to accept that they might well need some support."

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