Mac’s Addiction – His Mother’s Story

Discovering that her son was an alcoholic came a complete shock to Mac’s mother, who had no knowledge of his excessive drinking.

Hi, I’m Mac’s mum, and this is my story about my son’s alcohol addiction.

Mac had a good childhood.

His father was a police officer and we were happily married for forty-two years.

We had a stable home, and a loving family environment, so sometimes it’s puzzling how this illness of addiction happened to Mac.

I first became aware that Mac was drinking when he went into the army.

However, because he wasn’t at home, we weren’t witness to any alcoholic behaviours.

Because he travelled so much for work, we really only saw him periodically, even staying with him at his home.

During these times we weren’t really privy to any odd behaviour – Mac always seemed like he was OK.

I remember visiting four or five years ago, I’m not certain of the exact timeline and he was living with a girl, she had a drinking problem.

The family situation there was a bit volatile – he didn’t have children and she did.

There were often times where he said that for various reasons that he didn’t want to go home.

Was that when he started drinking more? I really don’t know, can’t answer that question.

When I stayed with him for a few days during that time, he was working.

He’d get up in the morning and head to work and come home as normal people do in the evenings. I’d see him consume three or four beers, nothing I considered unusual.

Three years ago, I recall him being with a partner who was drinking heavily and started becoming aware over the last twelve months that things weren’t “quite right” with Mac. He would say things to me like, “I can’t take it anymore! But don’t worry, I won’t do anything silly!”

This did ring a few alarm bells, but not wanting to be interfering and controlling, I just let it go.

I wanted Mac to feel he called always talk to me.

Towards the end of last year, I was aware that he’d gone to court and lost his driver’s license.

It was at that point my awareness grew into a knowing that something was very wrong.

Shortly after, he told me that he was going to rehab and I helped him with his “life admin”, looking after things while he was in rehab like his phone bill and car registration etc.

Since joining the Hader Clinic Queensland addiction treatment program Mac has opened up and told me a lot of other stories about his drinking habits – which go back way further than this.

When he tells me some of the things that happened to him with his drinking in the past, I realise that he was lying to me back then – but I always believed him (he was always a very honest kid).

Last year he’d say that he’d “had one beer” and I thought nothing of it. I didn’t realise that “one beer” was actually “one carton”.

Not knowing a great deal about addiction, I didn’t know that people lied to cover up their addiction, that when he said after losing a job, that he “couldn’t come home”, that he was ashamed and didn’t want me to see him like that.

The way Mac speaks to me now indicates to me that he has no intention of going back to his previous life.

I keep reminding him and encouraging him that he’s been given this wonderful opportunity to turn his life around by the RSL and the Hader Clinic Queensland. I think he was in a pretty bad way before he was admitted.

I know that Mac wants to help others who are in a similar situation to what he was.

No more truck driving.

I’m really happy to see that he has some opportunities with the RSL.

But most of all, I’m happy and very thankful that he’s in recovery – Thanks to Hader Clinic Queensland- and that each clean day is a win.