TRIGGER WARNING: This article touches on potentially distressing topics like alcoholism. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
David Campbell has celebrated eight years of sobriety this week, and he couldn’t recommend it more.
The Today Extra presenter took to Twitter to mark the milestone by announcing, “Been sober for 8 years this week. Best decision I made for myself, my family and my mental health. If you are thinking of it, know that it’s wonderful.”
David rings in eight years of sobriety this week.
(Image: Twitter)David was quickly flooded with messages of congratulations, with fans sharing their own experiences.
One wrote, “Congratulations David. I’m considering giving it up completely myself (anxiety is always worse when I tipple),” and another commented, “Agreed. Three years for me. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. But also the best that thing that I’ve ever done.”
A third remarked on Twitter, “It’s been two years for me now – huge congratulations to you sir!”
When David decided to become sober, he told The Daily Telegraph he knew his drinking was an issue when his then four-year-old son, Leo, commented that “Daddy isn’t well”.
“I wanted to be a role model for him. I wanted to be the best father I could – I still do.”
“I felt shame. I couldn’t stand by and watch this be normalised with the next generation. I wanted to be a role model for him. I wanted to be the best father I could – I still do,” he told the publication.
“So I quit alcohol, and I have never been happier. Now a year on, I have tripled my number of children and my resolve.”
David’s rocker dad Jimmy Barnes has also openly spoken about his addictions in his memoir Working Class Man.
During an interview with Now To Love, David’s sister Mahalia Barnes revealed why her family is so open to sharing their stories.
David with his wife Lisa.
(Image: Instagram)“I think that being in the public profile, you do have less privacy, obviously. That’s just how it works; it sort of comes with the territory.
“And obviously, there are things that you can choose to keep private, or you can speak openly. But when it comes to talking about things like alcoholism and drug addiction or domestic violence, that are generally kept secret and kept in the shadows, I think the more people that can publicly talk about that stuff, the better.
“It’s not easy, it is vulnerable, but it’s also really powerful and really important to do that because I think that there’s a lot of stigmas that we have around those sorts of issues,” said Mahalia.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
.jpg?fit=105%2C105&ssl=1){kind=avatar}
.jpg?resize=380%2C304&ssl=1)