- Jeff Horton started drinking at the age of 12. He became dependent on alcohol in his early 20s.
- He wasn’t present for his son as he grew up since he could only think about his next drink.
- The granddad finally got sober at 50 by getting monthly shots of a drug that manages his cravings.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeff Horton, 50, a development operations manager from Tucker, Georgia. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I wasn’t present for my son, Joel, when he was growing up. He’d ask me if I wanted to go to the park. “No, let’s stay home and watch TV,” I’d always say. I’d sit in the chair with a beer in my hand — and keep going all afternoon, progressing to hard liquor like whisky. I’d often black out.
I’ve been sober since 2021, thanks to a medicine that made my alcohol craving disappear, and I get to be present as a grandfather in a way I never was as a dad.
Alcohol has been a problem since I was a tween
Alcohol was a problem for me from the age of 12. When I was in fifth grade, I felt like I didn’t fit in. But I eventually found my group in the kids who hung out at the back of the school and smoked cigarettes.
It wasn’t long before I had my first taste of beer. Then it was whiskey, vodka, and gin — anything we could get our hands on as young teens. We’d stand outside the liquor store and ask an adult to buy bottles for us. Or the store owners would just sell it to us.
In high school, I’d drink at parties and friends’ houses. My parents found out and would ground me. But I’d find a way to drink in secret in my room.
At 18, they told me to either get out of the house or go to rehab. They paid for a rehab center in Florida. I had one relapse but stayed sober for over four years.
I was an obnoxious person
Then, in the mid-90s, one of my friends died from a heart attack. He was in his 20s. I went to his funeral and met up with my old friends that I used to drink with. I couldn’t resist the temptation and fell back into bad habits.
I married my wife, Suzanna, in 2002. She meant everything to me. But on our honeymoon in Jamaica, I got completely blitzed. I had to be carried off to my room. She was embarrassed.
I caused a lot of scenes. We’d go to parties where I’d get drunk, flirt with other women, and say inappropriate things. I was an obnoxious, horrible husband who’d yell at Suzanna and then blackout. The next morning, I couldn’t remember a thing.
Things got progressively worse. I started drinking during my workday. The pandemic meant I was working from home, which made it harder. I brewed my own beer in the basement, where I’d hang out on my own.
In early 2021, our marriage was so rocky that we decided to get divorced. We each spent $10,000 on lawyers, but somehow, Suzanna, now 51, forgave me. We worked hard on our marriage and called off the divorce.
That summer, I blacked out once again. It frightened me so much that I knew I had to get ahold of myself. I was on the verge of losing my job or dying. I’m 5ft 11in and weighed 260 pounds. I’d be drenched in sweat doing simple tasks like picking up leaves. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels were dangerously high.
I talked to HR and the CEO of my company. I’d worked there for 30 years, and they care about me. I asked if I could take a monthlong leave to go to rehab. They told me to get better and come back when I was ready.
So, I detoxed at a 30-day residential program at Mount Sinai Wellness Center in Dahlonega, Georgia. I had group sessions and individual counseling. I picked up the tools to stay sober.
I no longer crave alcohol
Still, I knew I needed ongoing support. In August 2021, the doctors prescribed me Vivitrol, a medication that helps reduce alcohol dependence. They explained how it affects the opioid pathways to the brain, so you don’t get that “buzz” from drinking.
It made me not want to drink at all. It lost its appeal because it didn’t have the same effect on me. I told Suzanna to get rid of my distilling equipment in the basement.
I have monthly intramuscular shots at a local pharmacy. They inject the extended-release drug between my buttocks and hips.
The benefits have changed my life. I have no inclination to drink, and the calories I’ve saved have helped me lose 70 pounds. It’s turned my metabolism around. I was a 44-inch waist, and now I’m a 34. I’ve gone from an XXL to a large. I’ve got more energy for my favorite sport, fishing.
Suzanna and Joel, 32, are proud of me. Joel’s wife, Harley, gave birth to our beautiful grandchild, Nora, two years ago. Thank God she has never seen me drunk — and she never will. People tell me I’m a great, hands-on granddad. I’m very happy to play with Nora for hours.
I feel like I’m making up for the time I didn’t spend with Joel when he was young. I treasure every moment.
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