I am an alcoholic.
I have gotten very used to admitting this over the last 15 years.
I am powerless over alcohol.
I have been sober for 15 years and 37 days.
There was a time when alcohol ruled my every waking hour and it nearly destroyed my marriage.
This is my story of how saving my marriage actually saved my life.
I have been drinking since I can remember.
I am a musician and always knew that I wanted to be a guitarist.
If I told you my real name, you would even recognize me.
I started my career in the UK in a well-known band.
We signed a record deal when I was only 17 years old.
It was the life! Booze, women, drugs, you name it; the record company supplied it.
What kid in his teens is going to say no to all of that? I actually met a really nice woman who was a fan and within a year I was married to her.
We had a few kids and I made some more records.
I was a hit! Our marriage was actually pretty solid, or so I thought.
One day, out of the blue, my wife kicked me out of the house.
It was a shock! I thought things were going fine.
I realized things were anything but fine.
At first all I wanted to do was worked toward saving my marriage.
I hadn't realized how out of control my life had become.
It was in saving my marriage that I would so discover how bad things got.
My wife, let's call her Gigi, told me in no uncertain terms that for her to consider saving my marriage - our marriage, the booze and the women had to end, like NOW! I was so out of control that I hadn't even realized I was cheating on my wife and still drinking! I am not lying.
I set out on a mission find ways to save a marriage.
First, I got a therapist.
I talked to her every single day.
She told me that I was killing myself.
In fact, she sent me to a doctor and it was true.
I was damaging my liver so much that if I continued drinking, I would be dead in just a few years.
She agreed that although saving my marriage was my goal, it would eventually save my life.
Gigi saw the changes I was making and although she too was committed to saving my marriage, she knew that I had to actually do most of the work.
Her job was in trying to figure out why she stayed with me for 10 long and miserable years.
Or maybe they weren't so miserable because she didn't leave and so I guess she too wanted to learn how to save a marriage.
In hindsight, kicking me out of the house was the best thing Gigi would have done.
I wouldn't have woken up to the fact that saving my marriage was important to me.
I went into rehab, I got better, and one day I noticed that I hadn't had a drink in four months.
Gigi saw the changes and invited me back home.
It took time but eventually we were back on the road to recovery.
We both had to learn step by step how to save a marriage and we did it.
I can also report that the doctor continues to give me a clean bill of health.
My liver has returned to almost normal and after more than 15 years sober, I am the healthiest I have ever been.
I attend recovery meetings regularly and I thank my wife for sticking with me.
Saving my marriage really and truly saved my life.
I have a new album coming out this year and my fans never turned their backs on me.
If they only knew that almost losing my wife is why I am still here.
I owe Gigi my life.
She was committed to saving my marriage and my life.