Ted & Samantha, Harrogate

Ted and Samantha from Harrogate regularly drank at home in the evenings. They drank with friends outside of the house too.

Following the death of their son, they slowly began to drink more heavily.

“We probably drank more than we should during those times. Alcohol numbed the difficult pain and emotions.”

It didn’t help long-term. They felt sad, groggy in the mornings and overwhelmed with grief. So, they decided to cut down their alcohol intake.

They no longer need the drink to numb the pain, they feel more aware and fresher in the morning. Together, they can deal with difficult situations better and communicate more effectively.

“We feel so much better. We communicate better and we’re both proud of the fact that we drink less.”

They still enjoy a small amount of alcohol, but just on special occasions.

“We have the occasional drink when we go out for a meal together. We used to share a bottle of wine, but now it’s just half a beer or a glass of wine.”

Ted and Samantha advise making small changes to see a big difference to your health.

You don’t have to give up drinking all together, but perhaps just drink on Fridays and Saturdays. You’ll feel so much better.”

Other Local Stories

James

Scarborough
Twenty-year-old James from Scarborough is aware of the risks of drinking, having lost his brother to an alcohol-related accident when he was younger.

Chris

Northallerton

Chris used to drink fairly heavily, since being a student a while ago, but enjoys the countryside and being fit and healthy, which doesn’t fit with a drinking lifestyle.

Samantha

Harrogate

Samantha used to drink at home most evenings. It was easy for her to drink half a bottle of brandy a week. Following the loss of her son, she carried on drinking, it helped to numb the pain. It didn’t help.