Best known for playing well-loved Curly Watts for many years on Coronation Street, Kevin Kennedy admits the act of holding it all together nearly became too much for him. Speaking in the Mirror today about the horrific impact his alcohol addiction had, Kevin admits that rather than being shocked and scared when people told him he was going to die, he would view it as a release. He reflects that whilst he did not have the nerve to end his own life, he would pray that he would die in his sleep. This is something that we commonly hear at Addiction Helper; rather than seeing recovery as salvation, it is actually death and release that people tend to look towards in their darkest days.
The statements made today by Kevin are hard to assimilate with the personality that won over a nation’s hearts night after night on Coronation Street, but this was all part of the web of deceit that even fooled Kevin himself. Whilst trying all of the tricks that those who have battled addiction will be familiar with – only drinking a certain beverage, or only drinking after a certain time – Kevin was aware that nothing was improving. In his own words, “controlled drinking is like controlled drowning – it doesn’t work.”
Even those who are in high profile jobs and seemingly have it all can be silently suffering with addiction, but you don’t have to suffer forever; help is out there. Kevin has been sober since 1998 and proves that even those who have reached the depths of despair can get themselves well again with professional help. He famously led Coronation Street co-star Denise Welch in the direction of Alcoholics Anonymous, giving her the opportunity to also experience successful recovery.
If you, or a loved one connect with anything in Kevin’s story about his battle with alcohol addiction and you want free, confidential advice, give us a call today, we are here to help.