His relationship with Ashley wasn't enough. Even the birth of his child sadly wasn't enough. Brian was suffering from addiction and couldn't "just stop" like Ashley had. If you missed part 1 of their story, read it before going on:
This is my Alcohol Story: Ashley & Brian (Part 1 of 4)
DUI arrests, Jail, and Homelessness
Years passed after Ashley stopped her regular drinking and drug use. A few years after the birth of their first child, the couple welcomed another child. But Brian still continued to drink and use drugs.
Brian was in and out of jail for various drug-related charges over several years. He got his first DUI around 2009 and his second just a year later. For his second DUI, his two kids were in the car with him. Ashley had to pick them up from jail. She was so upset with him. She also knew he was very sick. By this point, he was getting physically ill when he didn't have alcohol. He suffered from cold sweats, diarrhea, sleeplessness, and more. He would eventually pass out from drinking liquor but would have to take another swig of straight vodka in the middle of the night when he'd wake up and couldn't fall back asleep without it.
Is this rock bottom?
After years of Ashley trying to support him and guide him to a sober life, they eventually broke up. Brian became homeless and was in and out periods of employment.
Over the next few years, Brian lost so much in life. He even lost both of his parents who each died from unrelated things during this time he was already struggling so badly. In 2019, he decided he was ready for a change. He wanted to go to rehab. He completed a 30-day program. He and Ashley got back together and he started working again.
His new job was a great start, but it also exposed him to people who used alcohol and drugs. Would he be able to avoid the temptation this soon after treatment? We'll continue his story in next week's post.
Why we care
Whether you're an addict trying to stop or reduce your amount of drinking or just someone who struggles making good choices when you've occasionally had a few too many drinks, we offer products such as ignition interlock devices to help people take back control over their alcohol use. Through our work with ignition interlock devices, we come into contact with a lot of people whose lives have been affected by alcohol. We see negative impacts caused by alcohol all the time, and we try our best to help even if it's just in a small way. We want to help you and we want to keep the roads safe. Visit our website to see some of the products we offer at Smart Start of Alabama. Call us or complete our contact form if you're ready to see how we can help.
