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When people leave Delamere, we hope that they have a lasting memory of the people who helped them to heal and start their journey to recovery.
From our dedicated and skilled team of colleagues, to the first guest who came through the door in 2020, to guests admitted just this week – everyone has an impact.
For 2026, we are proud to launch a new ‘Recovery Journey’ blog series to shine a light on the incredible outcomes of our guests.
As the first instalment of this series, we will reflect on Bruce’s story and his journey through Delamere, leading to four years of sobriety.
Bruce came to Delamere in 2021. Last year, we were lucky enough to have Bruce speak at our alumni event; to reflect on his time at Delamere and how far he has come in the last four years.
We sat down with Bruce to discuss this.
“I’d describe alcohol as being my friend, initially. It helped me to relax and feel better, which it did at the start before becoming more of a problem.
“I started hiding bottles at home and hiding the reality of how much I was drinking from my family.
“I was a doctor before retirement, and I would ask patients how much they drank as part of a health check. I used to ask them to cut down their drinking from a glass a day, before returning home to drink a whole bottle on an evening without even thinking about it.
“I knew as soon as I walked down the path to Delamere, that I was in the right place. When I first met my Recovery Mentor Adam, and was welcomed with a big hug, and it cemented that this was where I needed to be. It’s just one example of the care and dedication that colleagues have at Delamere.
“At Delamere, I cried a lot. But I also laughed a lot, which was unexpected. Some of the moments I shared with other moments were great, moments of huge hilarity and laughter.
“Recovery changes people. It’s not all doom and gloom after drinking. Recovery is about living life.
“You hear about life beyond your wildest dreams in recovery, and I’m not sure it’s that, but life is so much better than it ever was.
“My son and grandchildren live in Australia, and in recovery I’m proud that I’ve been able to travel and visit them. In the past, the thought of going halfway across the world wouldn’t have happened.
“Spending more time with all my family, in the UK and Australia, is an incredible change.
“If I had to give advice to my younger self, I would tell him not to be ashamed, and to ask for help now. Be aware that addiction is a progressive and potentially fatal disease – get off the lift before you hit the bottom. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
“Success stories are important for people to see that life goes on.”
Taking the step to share the intimate moments of recovery is never easy, but Bruce has been committed to helping others in his recovery and inspiring people to reach out for help.
We are proud of every step that Bruce has made since we met him in 2021, and he continues to inspire us at Delamere even now. To see the full series of videos on Bruce’s
If you’ve been inspired by Bruce to share your story, and help others on their recovery journey, reach out to our team today.
