Seek comfort in the small positives

My mum passed away on January 20th of this year.

For the last 20 plus years, we had dealt with every emotion that comes with a loved one being in active addiction.

The worry, the tears, the emotional guilt of ‘not doing enough’ and the continuous anxiety that greets you on an almost daily basis.

You can’t always control what goes on around you

But you can control how you deal with things. And in my case, I’ve always tried to harness the emotions and remain optimistic about my own journey.

I cherish the many positive memories I have of my mum, these enable me to move forward and live my life in a way that the healthy Mum I once had would have wanted.

10 mile swim in memory of my mum

In October of this year, I decided that I would swim ten miles in memory of my Mum, and to raise money for Nacoa.

The support I have received from the charity and from friends and family alike has been truly mind blowing.

My biggest takeaway from my experiences of growing up with and ultimately losing an alcoholic parent is that you cannot control how people live their lives.

Cherish special memories

To anybody who finds themselves on this journey, seek comfort in the small positives, cherish those special memories and place your emotions into positive actions.

There are many ways in which this can be achieved. For me personally, swimming, walking and photography offer me outlets, physically and creatively.

This allows me to process my emotions and work through them in a healthy way.

Ultimately, you must put yourself first. If you can live a healthy balanced life, those difficult times become easier to navigate.

I’d like to thank Nacoa for their continued dedication to what is an incredibly important cause. Take care everybody and look after yourselves.

Matt

Thank you to Matt for fundraising for Nacoa. If you would like donate, please head over to his JustGiving page.

To read more experience stories, please go to Support & Advice.