nadiasawalha posted
nadiasawalha I feel so emotional this morning…
Seventeen years ago today my super smart , funny , kind , loving , tortured ,talented husband @mark_adderley put down alcohol for good . For me . For his daughters . For all those that loved him. NOT for himself . He couldn’t for himself . Alcohol had unwittingly , right from his very first drink ,been his medication for the agonies of Bi polar 2 and depression .
Mark only got his diagnosis this year when he was told that he would have been trying to deal with his illness since he was a five or six years old . It breaks my heart that alcohol became the answer for his emotional agony .
I truly believe that if Mark hadn’t chosen AA and a sober life he wouldn’t be with us today .
For some , alcohol is deadly .
The slow realisation that Mark was an alcoholic was a painful and scary one for me and I almost gave up on our marriage .
Thank god I didn’t . Thank god he really heard me and chose sobriety ‘one day at a time ‘
It’s not ALWAYS the case that someone ONLY gives up alcohol if THEY want to give up alcohol .
Mark never wanted to give up . How could he , the sadness in him could only be soothed ( albeit momentarily ) by alcohol.
BUT once Mark knew , really knew , that he would lose me and his girls forever if he didn’t give it up for good . He did . It was very tough . But he did it for all of us . So he could be the best dad . The best husband . The best son he could .
I’ve seen just how hard it’s is to live in a drink obsessed world if you choose not to drink .
It is the ONLY drug in the world you have to apologise for not taking and that’s pretty damn bonkers when we all know what havoc it can cause .
So Mark . I want to say . Today is all about you . Me and the girls want to celebrate you and what you do one day at a time .
You are our hero .
Thank you for your sobriety and for being the funniest kindest , smartest person I know .
I love you . More now than ever .
Happy sober birthday !
Fancy an egg and fag sarnie darling ?
To anyone struggling with a loved one who is in the grip of alcoholism AlAnon is for families and loved ones of alcoholics . You need support too