The Ultimate Price of Alcohol

(The millionaire who lost everything to Drink)

BRYAN COX

Bryan Cox had it all; a millionaire businessman with several cars, homes, international travel, a football team and all the trappings of success but behind it all was a crutch that he had relied on since his teenage years - Alcohol.

Born in the East End of London he excelled at school, particularly in sport and had the potential to become a professional footballer. However from a young age he began to use alcohol to overcome his fears and anxieties, particularly when dealing with other people.

Despite his growing reliance on alcohol he was able to build a very successful and lucrative business which made him a millionaire by the time he was 30. Mixing in the world of chief executives and company directors, Bryan would drink without thought for the addictive way he was using alcohol. Drink became such a presence in his day to day life that he had bottles by the side of his bed.

Increasingly alcohol was taking its toll on his physical health with blackouts occurring due to excessive drinking. Both his personal and professional life began to suffer and ultimately both his marriage and his multi-million pound business would fail as a consequence of his drinking.

From a point of having everything that money could buy, alcoholism reduced Bryan to sleeping on a mattress on a floor with all his worldly possessions in a black bin liner.

Spells in treatment centres both in the UK and abroad together with the help of a recovery programme gave him the opportunity to address the reasons behind his drinking and the realisation that much of his life had been an act to overcome his fears.

As alcohol continues to be increasingly a part of young people’s lives, Bryan has chosen to share his story to give pupils an insight into the devastating effect alcoholism can have on all aspects of a person’s life.