02 September 2025
A 46-year-old man from Ludlow whose struggle with alcohol nearly killed him has shared his life-saving story for Recovery Month, observed throughout September to celebrate those in recovery and raise awareness of treatment for those who are struggling.
Up until the pandemic hit, Henry Mackley co-owned a deli in Ludlow. He says, “I had suffered with anxiety and depression for large parts of my adult life and I'd always been a heavy drinker in order to self-medicate. I was in denial about how serious my drinking problem was though. Like so many other people I'm just a classic case of somebody who struggled during the pandemic. In late 2021-early 2022, I lost my mother very suddenly and I spiralled. I hit a fairly brutal rock bottom at the end of ‘21, early ‘22, and suddenly just realised that I had a massive problem with alcohol. It nearly killed me.”
He went to rehab twice, and when he left the second time in January 2022 he knew he had to do whatever he could to make it stick. “I was terrified after rehab of relapsing. But I was also terrified of getting help anywhere people might know me, because I live in a small town,” he explains. “I was extremely judgmental about people who got into difficulties with drugs and alcohol. Because people like me with a good education allegedly don't have these problems. I came out of rehab and realised that I was an addict and that regardless of background, drug and alcohol issues do not discriminate."
Two days after he left rehab, he walked through the door of WithYou’s Ludlow branch, without an appointment, and asked for help. He says, “I immediately found this safe space where I wasn't judged, where I was able to talk about this mad condition that I had.
WithYou is a national drug and alcohol charity that provides free, confidential support without judgement to adults and young people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health. In Shropshire, the charity runs Shropshire Recovery Partnership and has three main bases in Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Ludlow, and meets people where they need - at home, school, community centres, and out and about.
Through support from Shropshire Recovery Partnership and AA, Henry is in recovery, and three months ago he started working for WithYou - supporting others like him.
“I just suddenly realised that I'm not that good at many things in life,” he smiles, “But what I'm really good at is getting myself in an absolutely terrible mess, but also getting myself out of it. So, why don't I do that for a job? And here I am. This job is so important for my own recovery because it just reminds me how scary and how very brave it is to walk in through our doors and to put your hands up and to say, ‘I can't do this on my own. I need some help’.”
Henry is open about his experiences, and wants to share his story to help others. “I feel I kind of owe it to people who are struggling, to be open about it,” he explains. “And I'm also a father and it's really important to me that young people are able to have an open dialogue about drugs and alcohol. It's not something I'm embarrassed about or ashamed of.”
Anyone struggling with drugs or alcohol, or worrying about someone else, can contact WithYou for support. We are with you every step of the way.
