A Belfast Alcoholic Anonymous group has been hailed by its members for supporting them through their darkest days.
AA Lisburn Road helped a young mum, who says she "lost her children to alcohol" - now she has been sober for two years.
Members of the group use their first names only, and Mary, 40, said it's thanks to the close community network that she is "at peace" with herself.
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She said: "I am ‘Mary’ and I am an alcoholic. I have been sober for nearly two years thanks to AA. I never pictured my life without drink.
"Initially, I loved drinking. I could talk to people and I felt less self-conscious. As a sober teenager I hated how I looked and drinking helped.
"There were early warning signs I had a problem – blackouts, broken bones and broken relationships. I kept on drinking.
"When I had my kids I wanted to be the best mum in the world. I love my boys but life felt pressured working and bringing them up alone. My drinking progressed – first at weekends, then mid-week, then drinking almost daily.
"My kids hated it. They had to fend for themselves and in the end their dad took them to live with him. I lost my self-respect, dignity and eventually my children to alcohol."
'Mary' says her drinking "became darker and more dangerous" to the point where she knew she was "in trouble".
Today, she is looking ahead to her future with positivity.
"I was alone, insane, suicidal and I hated what I had become and I needed help.
During lockdown, I logged onto an AA meeting online. I had been to AA before but didn’t stay. This time I was willing to do anything. I got a sponsor and went through the 12 steps and my life has improved.
"I am a person at peace with myself and the rest of the world. I have got my children back. I asked how my drinking hurt them. My older son said: 'I just didn’t think you loved us'.
"I have a lot of work to do to rebuild our relationship. But our home is now happy and safe. My friends and family can relax without worrying about me.
"I have lost some friends and gained new friends in AA. We laugh a lot. I have just turned 40. For the first time I am excited for the future and I can enjoy life sober."
AA Lisburn Road group is open to those who have a problem with alcohol, as well as their relatives and friends.
The group is free, confidential and available to anyone who is worried about their drinking. It is for anyone whose life is, or has been affected by someone else's drinking.
People who are worried about their drinking, concerned about a loved one’s alcoholic intake or who simply want to learn about alcoholism, are invited to an open public information meeting hosted by Alcoholics Anonymous in Belfast on April 5.
It is running the event that will include speakers from Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon and the medical profession.
The AA fellowship states: "Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
"There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes.
"Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety."
Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland processed 5,251 calls, an increase of more than one third from 2019, according to the organisation’s 2020 annual report.
A member of the AA fellowship who is organising the event in April, said members are overjoyed to be hosting a physical meeting to carry the message of hope.
She added: "There are approximately 80 registered AA groups holding 250 meetings weekly across, mornings, afternoons and evenings in Northern Ireland. More than 20 per cent are continuing online as physical meetings resume.
"Lockdown showed us that people wanting to stop drinking – even in the absence of physical meetings – could indeed achieve sobriety through online meetings.
"Older members – many who previously had no computer experience – became adept at getting online and soon had no problem even hosting meetings online.
"In fact a global demographic emerged with AA members from many nations accessing Lisburn Road online meetings. And in Ireland, AA members could not only join meetings across Ireland and Britain, but also as far away as Australia, America, Canada and English-speaking meetings in Europe.
"One AA member in the US actually became a member of Lisburn Road and when travel restrictions eased, he flew to Belfast to meet group members."
The fellowship member said public information was important to the work of AA.
She said: "This open public information meeting is our way to reach out to affected people as we emerge from Covid-19.
"AA meetings are happy places. Our members want to help and carry the message of hope one day and one meeting at a time – so I would say to people to please come along."
The open public information meeting takes place at 8pm on Tuesday April 5 at 236-238 Lisburn Road, (Agape Centre) Belfast, BT9 6GF.
AA can be contacted in Belfast at 028 9035 1222 or at the General Service Office in Dublin 00353 1842 0700.
Email Lisburn Road AA at: U19@alcoholicsanonymous.ie or visit their website here.
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