Former GP Nicholas Lawrence, 65, says a stay at the Salvation Army’s Gloucester House recovery centre in Highworth, Swindon, helped him stop drinking after repeated relapses; he has now been sober for more than a year and hopes to work in addiction services.
Lawrence said he spent six years battling alcohol addiction near the end of a 40-year medical career and relapsed despite trying scientific and psychological approaches. He said finding faith at Gloucester House enabled him to take on its 12-step recovery programme.
Gloucester House is a 13-bed, male-only centre offering a faith-based programme. Lawrence joined former residents at an open-house event on 11 September, where programme manager Maz Hyde said his story showed that addiction can affect anyone and recovery is possible.
