"I was sick and tired of it and my existence, my wife had left me. I was drinking and would drink so much I hoped I wouldn't wake up in the morning."

That was when recovering alcoholic Paul Clarkson, from Blackpool, knew he had hit rock bottom.

The 44-year-old, who is taking part in an after-care programme run by Pierpoint, at Gateway, in St Annes, said: "Once my wife left, I had to get treatment. I think she was the only thing keeping me going and enabling me to function.

"I was still working when my wife was there, but I was constantly drinking or thinking about drink.

"I went to my GP and he told me about Pierpoint. The first two days, I was drunk, but once I sobered up, it was hard for me.

"I had to change my attitudes and my behaviour. In a way, not drinking was easy because of the environment I was in.

"You can walk out at any time, but as I went through the detox, I started to look at myself, my reasons for drinking and the consequences of my drinking.

"It was a big shock to realise what effect drinking had on others, on my wife and my children.

"When you drink, you don't think about things from that point of view, you just want to drink.

"I haven't drunk for 11 months now. It's hard because I grew up in St Annes and did my drinking in the area and around Blackpool, so am always being reminded of it. But there are always people to talk to at Pierpoint.

"I am back at work part-time now.

"Going through this programme was the hardest thing I have ever done. But it was worth it.

"I think without this, I would be dead. I had already had heart problems and been in hospital four times in the year before I started at Pierpoint.

"It's given me a chance at life. A choice – I can choose whether to drink or not now – before I couldn't."

And Peter Edge, 36, who lived in London agreed.

He said: "At my lowest, alcohol took me to being homeless on the streets of London. I had been told by friends about eight or 10 years ago my drinking – which started out as social after work, as I worked in the leisure industry – was becoming a problem.

"But I wouldn't listen until about three or four years ago when I realised. I lost my job and that was a wake-up call.

"Alcohol took me to the depths. It was when I was in a hostel in East London I found out about Pierpoint.

"It was very difficult at first, unravelling things about yourself. It gave me an understanding about the effect my drinking had on those around me. Being an alcoholic involves being very selfish.

"This programme gives you the inspiration to face life. It shows you what options are available."