This is a story that aired on OETA Public Television's The Oklahoma News Report in Tulsa Oklahoma as reported by Lis Exon and photojournalist Tim Carson. For more information or to contact us, please go to www.oeta.tv
The verbatim script follows below...
UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN JOHN SULLIVAN SPOKE OUT TODAY ABOUT HIS RETURN FROM REHABILITATION TREATMENT AT THE BETTY FORD CENTER IN CALIFORNIA.
THE CONGRESSMAN SAYS FOR THE FIRST TIME HE IS ADMITTING THAT HE IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM-DRINKER, THAT HE IS AN ALCOHOLIC.
IN A CANDID INTERVIEW WITH O-E-T-A'S LIS EXON, SULLIVAN EXPLAINS WHAT LEAD HIM TO GET TREATMENT AND WHY HE IS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT HIS ADDICTION.
Congressman Sullivan thanks so much for joining us. You just returned from the Betty Ford center, what a week ago? Yes a week ago Friday. When did you realize you were in trouble well iI always knew I had an alcohol problem for a long time... tried to do it on my own, quit on my own for kinda of the wrong reasons and I always failed and you know I couldn't do it on my own. I really about the last two months or so I realized it was really getting bad. I did most of it at home because I didn't want anyone to see me. I did it out some but mainly at home because I was afraid of people seeing me. Wanted to keep it a secret, hide it but the last couple of weeks, last few months, but the last few weeks it got worse. I was at home arguing with my kids, my wife, not being a great father and I just wanted to stop that. I was showing a horrible example to my children. I would say I am going to quit if I do it again I am going to get some help, I'll stop, I never did I was lying to them. So then I just decided finally I have a 15 year old boy my going,t an 11 year old daughter, 9 year old girl, 6 year old boy that I need to show them a good example plus I am going to eliminate alcohol from my life, I am going to get some help and thats when I went.
Did this affect your job at all in Washington? No it didn't that was one of the things that kind of fooled me a little bit is that I do my job very well I work very hard, my staff works really hard. We have great constituency services some say the best, the best in Washington some of the best constituent services availablecommunications effort.. all that is top notch and I thought well I am doing my job well. I also exercise everyday very hard, so I exercise I do my job well I am not an alcoholic but it affected my life in many other ways. I was doing it kinda hiding it had a lot of guilt shame remorse, felt terrible about myself and I wanted to have a better life than that and get that out of my life, and eliminate it and the only way I could do it was get help outside myself because I couldn't do it. How long had you been drinking? Well I started drinking pretty young you know but I would say the worst part of it started in my twenties, my early twenties and I would go for years without drinking. I went six years with out drinking I would go a year without drinking, When did you pick it up again? I started doing it again in about 2002, started drinking again. I did a little before that but I would quit for like two years or I would quit for a month I didn't know. I'm what you call a binge drinker. I don't drink every day but when I do start I go at it pretty hard.
You were only in there 30 days was that enough? Ya I think so, it was a 30 day program it was a pretty intensive program in patient program. very rigorous. I liked it very much I think it was one of the greatest things I have ever experienced in my life doing that but my road to recovery starts when I get out and I am working hard on after care program looking at life differently. Got me closer to God there. I always had a faith but I have a stronger faith and I did it for myself this time instead of for my job or someone else. People that have addiction understand thats a big difference when you do it like that and mine is very public people know about it ,it is a secret I don't have to hide any more, it is out there for everyone to know and I want to help people from this anyone else that has a problem I want to share my experience my strength, my hope from what the experience I had with this to help others too. And that's what I want to do.
So you really didn't hit bottom nothing happened that triggered this? No a lot of people think that I got a DUI or did something foolish or something like that ,triggered it and I ran into rehab. That didn't happen, absolutely did not happen I have never had a D-U-I in my life. I went because my bottom, my personal bottom was my bottom. People have different bottoms. Some could kill someone. Some could have financial problems some could whatever their bottom is. I was going down in an elevator and I decided to get off before it hit the basement
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Interview with Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan (R-OK)by gottico2113 views
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