Ex-alcoholic from Doncaster urges others to 'speak out' if they're drinking too much
47-year-old Ben Gannon got help back in 2019 after reaching rock bottom with his drinking habits
A South Yorkshire man who struggled to overcome alcoholism is encouraging others 'not to suffer in silence' if they're drinking too much.
Ben Gannon-from Doncaster-says he realised his habits had spiralled out of control just over three years ago-before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 47-year-old says getting help from the Aspire Drug & Alcohol service in the city saved his life:
"I was very much in a position of blaming everybody else for my downfall.
"It was everybody else's fault but mine, and the reality is, it was entirely my doing.
"Everything that happened to me was because of my actions and behaviour, so the acceptance of that was a fundamental turning point for me.
"For me, I used drink as a method of escapism, to forget what was going on in my life.
"The key thing is to talk to somebody though.
"Bottling it all up and isolating yourself is the worst thing you can do.
"There are people out there who do understand what you're going through.
"Services out there will just accept you for you, without judgement, and help you to reduce drinking or stop drinking altogether.
"Please, just ask for help.
"The Aspire Drug & Alcohol service has completely transformed my life.
"Without it, I wouldn't be here now. I'm not sure if I'd even be alive or not.
"The people here have been sensational; I think what they offer is underrated."
Anybody wanting to find out more about Aspire can access their website on the link below: