Former police officer helping others fight alcohol after turning his life around
A FORMER police officer living at one of Muir’s schemes is helping other people fight alcohol after beating his own addiction.
Glenn Gallagher spent more than ten years working for Northamptonshire Police before becoming a warehouse operator when the tragic loss of his partner saw him hit the bottle as he struggled to deal with her loss.
The 59-year-old has been living at Muir’s Brook View scheme, run in partnership with support provider Midland Heart, in Northampton, for almost two years.
He has been speaking candidly about his experiences and how he has battled back to transform his life and help others stage similar recoveries.
“I went off the rails in when I lost my partner in a car accident,” Glenn said. “I hit the alcohol.
“I lived on the streets for nearly two months and was then put in a night shelter for another six months before going to a hostel for people with alcohol and drug related issues.”
Glenn’s world was turned upside down in 2004 when his long-term partner Susanne was taken from him, putting him on a downward spiral that saw him reach out for solace at the bottom of a glass.
"I hit my lowest ebb in 2008,” he admitted. “Because of the drink I wasn’t getting to see my three daughters who were starting to have my grandchildren.
“I realised that I couldn’t carry on. I had seen friends die from substance misuse.”
It was then that Glenn began to stage a remarkable recovery that has seen him since become a qualified counsellor and be recognised with a number of awards for his contribution to society.
“I did what I could to get myself back into the community,” Glenn said.
“I felt I had something to give back to society.
“I met my current partner, Kerry, and moved into a council flat as I started coming off the alcohol and I started volunteering at an alcohol recovery group.
“At one point I had been drinking about 20 cans each day.
"I’ve now been off alcohol for six years – I can take it or leave it but mostly I leave it.”
Glenn is now a fully qualified voluntary peer support worker with the Aquarius organisation and was its first such volunteer in Northamptonshire.
He represents the county on the National Service Users Network Council and has a range of BTEC and industry qualifications, as well as being qualified in UK Sign Language and has undertaking a number of chef courses.
“I am achieving what I never thought I would,” said Glenn, who won the Northamptonshire Community Foundation Education and Skills Award earlier this year.
“I am enjoying living on Muir’s Brook View scheme very much.
“It is a nice community to be part of and it is giving me the opportunity to do what I want to do.
“I have come full circle and I am glad my parents got to see it because I could be a nightmare when I was drinking.
“Now I can advise people and get a positive response from them.
“I try to help people understand the dangers of alcohol and drugs. It is a hard fight but I self-detoxed so it is possible to do it alone but help is out there if you need it.”
Glenn now also runs meditation groups and is hoping to take his message into schools to explain the pitfalls as well as the costs to emergency services created by substance abuse.
“I do as much as I can now,” he said.
“I am enjoying life again and I have turned it right around.
“When I look back it makes me think about how I was behaving.
“Alcohol gripped me and I couldn’t convince myself I was doing anything wrong.
“Now it feels good to go to places and put my approach across.”
For more information about Aquarius and how it can help tackle alcohol, drug and gambling addiction, visit www.aquarius.org.uk