Paul Merson has opened up further on the depth of his addiction to alcohol and drugs as he reveals that Harry’s Heroes helped to save his life.
The former Arsenal star has been quite open about how he struggled with alcohol and gambling addiction throughout his life and revealed recently that he downed as much as 35 pints per week at some point.
He appeared on the ITV show, Harry’s Heroes, and his story will be aired in the second series that is slated to air next week.
He claimed that the show saved his life before going on to say that he was treated for his addiction twice, but it never helped because he wasn’t the person who sent himself there on those occasions.
He then revealed that he is now free because he went into treatment by himself with no one forcing or urging him to do so.
‘This show saved my life no question, 100 per cent,’ he said as quoted by the Daily Mail.
‘I went into treatment twice and it never helped because people made me go in, the club made me go in or the FA made me go in. This is the time I done it for me, you know what, I’m fed up… I wanted to do it.’
‘From last time, I’m 100 times better, my life’s changed around. Where I was last year compared to now I can’t explain.
‘The impact of being in the team, it saved my life. I was drinking at least 35 pints a week and gambling. But I’m sober and bet free now. As soon as I addressed the drinking I didn’t gamble.
‘I’ve come to realise I’m powerless over alcohol – I’m an alcoholic.
‘I have a disease and it is a disease. My drinking and gambling left a lot of wreckage.
‘As an alcoholic, recovering now those things are hard for me. It’s quite sad really because you look now and think what a waste of a life, some of it.’
