The Side Of Alcoholism Nobody Talks About: A Widows Story

We hear a lot about the people who quit drinking and rebuild their lives. We hear far less about the people they leave behind when they cant.

This week on One for the Road, Sober Dave talks to Lucy Norfolk, who lost her husband Dan to alcohol last year. This is one of the hardest conversations on the podcast and Lucy is sharing it for one reason. She wants other families going through the same thing to know they are not alone, and she wants the system to wake up.

Please note this episode contains content some listeners will find extremely difficult, including alcohol-related illness, seizures, and end of life. Take care of yourself when you listen.

Lucy shares the full story. Meeting Dan in a London theatre and falling for the funny one everybody loved. The first signs that something was wrong. The progression from wine and beer to vodka. The first time he was told by a doctor he wasn't bad enough to be helped. The seizures. The broken hip. The osteoporosis. The rehab and the relapses. The kidney failure. The yellow skin. The Tuesday morning the life support was switched off. And the saving grace that Dan's organs went on to save three other people.

Lucy also shares what she wishes she had known sooner, the charities that helped her family (NACOA, Wives of Alcoholics, With You), and what every partner of someone struggling with alcohol needs to hear.

If you love someone who cant stop drinking, or you have lost someone to alcohol, this conversation is for you.

If you have been affected by this podcast here are some links to support you.

https://www.cruse.org.uk/?s=alcohol

https://al-anonuk.org.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk/

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

https://www.instagram.com/lucy_norfolk_/

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/