'They put me right in my place' Methil man hopes to inspire others with new book on getting sober

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A Methil man hopes his story will inspire others - whilst calling on politicians to do more to address Scotland’s alcohol problem.

Liam Mimnaugh is originally from Carfin but now lives in Methil. In February he released Many Places to Save One Life – a memoir detailing his battles with drink and drugs and his subsequent 13 years of sobriety. The book highlights the struggles Liam had in his efforts to get sober, including attending rehab programmes.

He wrote it as an opportunity to raise awareness, whilst also writing it for his mother who he calls a great support.

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Liam said: “She's been a great support to me. Recently, she's been getting frailer, and then more forgetful and more forgetful so the book was more about that. I get emotional. I nearly died half a dozen times. My mum got the phone call from the hospital saying I might not make it through the night – she got that call half a dozen times. Some mums don't have to go through that once.”

Liam said that more needs to be done to support those suffering from alcohol addiction (Pic: Submitted)Liam said that more needs to be done to support those suffering from alcohol addiction (Pic: Submitted)
Liam said that more needs to be done to support those suffering from alcohol addiction (Pic: Submitted)

The book almost wasn’t published due upfront demands from publishers, however Liam was fortunate to receive support from his family. “My father came and he’d read a copy and he said, ‘we can't not get this published,’” Liam explained.

Liam is now married and has five children, ranging from ages 22 to eight, and said that he has turned his life around. “I've been a father twice since I got sober, I’ve got a great life. I got married two years ago, I brought my family back into my life,” he says.

Now, he wants to see opportunities for more people that were in his position to do the same. He said he was angry not to see alcohol deaths play a bigger part in the recent election campaign.

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He said: “It’s as if helping alcoholism and addiction isn’t any good for the economy, but that's totally false, because helping addiction helps hospitals. If you go down to your local A&E department, 90% of the people sitting there are alcohol and drug related. They’re talking on the television about prisons being full. That’s because the full of people suffering from addiction, suffering with alcoholism. They've been driven to prison.”

Liam said he’d like to see more done to utilise vacant shops in order to help people beat addiction.

He explained: “Places are full empty buildings that could be renovated, done up, made fit for purpose, put a couple of recovering alcoholics inside and give these addicts somewhere to go. They’re all just getting pushed to the side.”

He is particularly keen to see fellow recovering addicts with lived experiences lead recovery. Citing his own past experiences, he said after attending clinics run by therapists, it took a visit to one in Dundee led by recovering alcoholics to help enable him to get sober. He explained: “That was the best service I got was working face to face with two alcoholics – they put me right in my place.”

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