“Helping others makes me feel good”

When I divorced my atheist husband about twenty years ago, I became an alcoholic. A terrible, shameful illness, especially for a woman. I hid it very well. If you say you have cancer, people admire you: “Oh my, you’re courageous.” But alcoholic patient? It becomes: “You have no will? Can’t you stop?”

One day, drunk on the public highway, I was taken to the police station. It’s one of my children, himself a police officer in another brigade, who comes to pick me up. The officer gives his thoughts: “You realize, Madam, with a policeman son…” So, my son said to me: “Mom, you should do some volunteer work. I’ll take care of it.”

At the Mérignac town hall, he was directed to the Relais des solidarités: every day of the week, a different association occupied the premises. On a Tuesday, we go there. It is the day of the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Conference. Antoine, the president, shows me around the place: “Everyone speaks informally here.”

His face and his name remind me of someone. I ask him: “What did you do before you retired? – I was a surgeon at Institute B.” I exclaim: “It was you who removed my breast seventeen years ago!” And for the first time, I laughed at what had happened to me (two cancers, which made me suffer less than the alcoholic illness).

Here I am every Tuesday in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, first at the café then at the shop, and finally at reception, with a certain Bernard. One day, in the newspaper, I read an article about him! He has plenty of voluntary commitments, including one with Vie Libre, an association which welcomes victims of alcoholism into support groups.

The following Tuesday, I asked him: “Have you had problems with alcohol? – Yes. » I then entrust him with mine. Suddenly, he invites me: “Tomorrow, you come to Vie Libre!” And that’s how I got sober. Alcoholic illness is often a disease of loneliness.

By becoming a volunteer, I am surrounded like never before. And helping others makes me feel good. My son was baptized last Easter at 48 years old. In his profession of faith, he spoke of my history with Saint Vincent.

Meeting Antoine, then that of Bernard, were not simple coincidences. Our steps had been guided towards the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Conference. I found health and faith there.