Will all of my friends please read

To all my family, my friends and their families....
It is about time that I stopped hiding & came out with the truth.

For the last 2 years I have been battling an addiction to alcohol and prescription pain medication,
namely morphine and codeine.

What started as having a can of Woodstock with a Morphine tablet to give me a euphoric high,
that quickly took awaymy pain, soon turned into something more sinister,
and within a few months,I could no longer go 1 day with a drink or a tablet,to get me through the course of the day.

I wake up at 7am each morning and the 1st thing I do is open up a can of woodstock,
and then take my morphine and codeine tablets with it.

I do not function without this, and i become snappy,angry and a downright prick to be around, when I come down from my "HIGH"

Although I do not get blind drunk each day,I still class myself as an Alcoholic,as I feel I need it to get me through the day.

Unfortunately this "coming down" has turned me into a nasty,horrible person to be around,and although you may not have seen me like this,
a lot have and unfortunately it's been my family and close friends who have been on the receiving end of this behaviour.

I have now admitted I have a problem,that cannot be fixed by me alone....I have an appointment on tuesday with my doctor, to discuss
my options, and to hopefully provide with some help to overcome my addiction.....

to those who no longer wish to know me, I do not blame you one bit,as at times I have not even wanted to know me.

To those who understand,I thankyou, & hope that with your help and support, I can get back to being a human again, instead of some mood changing monster...

And finally to my family and friends, my sincerest apo0logies for all the hurtful comments, the torment, the anguish I have put you all through....

Andy xxx

Hi Andy,I am happy to say that I" for one 'won't be turn my back of a friend in need.
It one of the hard thing to do is being honest with yourself,it a fight on it own.
Ever since I have know ya,u alway out there to help everyone who pass ya way
I might not agree with ever thing u say,but u are a down to earth guy who call it as you see it(and that rare)
I repect u for being honest
i repect u for being a mate
Anytime u need a hand or a chat,feel free to Yell


To all those so call people who don't support Andy,I hope u keep ya mouth shut
I don't take to kindly to ass wipe who talk bad about another people's problem's
I am sure,if u look closely in ya own back yard,ur not that perfect like u think u are

that took guts andy good on ya

ill still be around if ya need a hand

thats what real friends are for

Hi Andy we have had a run in once but i have never judged you on your issues or issues that you may have as like mario says we may not agree but you are a tiptop bloke Andy and you have great family plus you cook mad bbq i will always be your mate and still dribble shit with you Andy i dont drink or do drugs but i have a anger issue which i have been fighting for few years i have nearly got locked up for my temper so its not an easy thing to deal with problems and if people say its easy its not cant just hit the red button and stop you need all the help and support well done andy

Andy Andy Andy. Mate. That took a lot of courage to come on a forum and post that up. And mate. You will get past this. Because you are a bloody top bloke and you have a big heart of gold mate. If ya ever need a hand with anything. Give me a yell mate. I will be there thats for sure. You have been a top bloke ever since I have known ya and you still are. That will never change.


MATES FOREVER DUDE

thanks cliff means a lot buddy.......and likewise mate...Andy

Andy, hang in there man. It took time to get to this stage so I guess it will take time and perseverance to get out of it but you'll do it. Just listen to what the doc says and attend to any referrals he will suggest. You'll get there and I'm there to help out if you need it.

Cheers
Ron

What a brave thing to do.
I think you have gone up in everyones estimation.
Good luck and all the best.
We all look forward to seeing you next outing.

Bill and the boys

Hey Andy,

I haven't gotten to know you that well yet but I admire your courage to be so honest and upfront with everyone, it takes a lot of guts to post what you did!

Good on you & I wish you all the luck with your road to recovery & hope to get to know you along the way cos you seem like a top bloke

Emmz

Hey Andy this has taken some courage mate well done i know we have had our up's and downs in the past but just letting you know im there for you mate hope all goes well

Good on ya Andy, Pazz and I are here for U, trudy and family if ya ever need us

Hi Andy it takes a lot of guts to let your friends know what you are going through
I do know where you are coming from and to everyone who knows me i do not drink as i am allergic to alcohol but i am in a lot of pain because of my back and leg it is a hard to do a lot of things like other people i have my good days and my bad days i am suffering with my back so much it takes me 10minutes to get out of bed in the morning

but don't worry Andy i am here for you as a friend you got my number and Kim's number

Wow, what can I say, except thank you so much for your support guys.....I honestly thought I was going to lose a lot of friends after coming out with this,and was expecting too, but you guys have blown me away with your offers of a friendly ear to listen to and to ring if I needed to........I used to think I had lots of Acquaintances and a few friends.......now I realise I have a few acquaintances and lots of friends.......I cannot thank you enough guys It means a lot to me.....

Just an update for you, i went to my local GP today and let out everything to him also, which on it's own has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.......

I have now been referred to Waranilla Clinic in Norwood which is a clinic for people with dependencies on either drugs ,Alcohol or both.....so am off there on Thursday morning, to see what can be offered to help me overcome this......

will keep ya posted ........and thanks again guys......."thanks to my Friends"

Good to hear Andy. Now is the time to move forward and get over this.
Best of luck as we are all behind you.

Cheers
Ron

thanks for your support Ron buddy and everyone elses it is greatly appreciated.....Andy

Well you did say that the Honda was shiny !

No probs

Cheers
Ron

Hey Andy great to hear you have been refered to the Waranilla Clinic. This will help you a lot mate. It will take time. It will not happen over night or a few day or weeks . But you keep up with your recovery and it should be clean sailing in a few months mate. And I for one know you have it in ya to get it done.
And yes you do have a lot of friends Andy and you always will.

You go Andy you have a bright future to live and a fantastic loving family. And lots and lots of friends.