Impact on work and struggling to sleep
Gradually his performance at work began to suffer.
“I made bad judgements, was forgetful, missed deadlines and lost drive and energy,” says Richard.
"Even still, no one wanted to talk about it.’
Soon, it became clear. Richard was an alcoholic.
One of the major casualties of his drinking was his first marriage.
“I felt shame. Shame at my addiction. Shame that I had let everybody down as a husband, a father, a friend, an employee.”
Then there was Richard’s inability to sleep. Every night, he would find himself staring at the ceiling, unable to drift off.
So he would turn to the bottle.
"It did the trick initially. It would knock me out for a couple of hours. Then around 2am, I would wake up with heart palpitations, drenched in sweat,” says Richard.
Diagnosed with depression
Richard’s workplace had a mandatory health check for all employees over 40 with a company doctor. It came at the perfect time.
“I remember the doctor saying that as soon as I sat down in front of him, he knew I was a sick man,” says Richard.
The doctor asked about Richard’s lifestyle.
“When he asked how much I drank, I lied, but it was still enough to scare him,” says Richard.
“He recommended a psychologist, who called me the next night and within two days I was sitting in their office.”
Richard opened up about his difficulty sleeping. His work struggles. His addiction. And he felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
