Former radio presenter and marketer Denis Ndavi is celebrating nine months of sobriety this September. The Ebru Africa TV producer and Homeboyz Radio marketing consultant has had a tumultuous relationship with alcohol, a relationship that began in the 1990s when he was in high school. What started as an experiment turned into a disaster that almost ruined his life. He spoke to CATE MUKEI about how hitting the bottle led to two road accidents and intestinal problems
When did you start drinking? I first tasted alcohol in high school. Just like any other teenager, I did it out of curiosity and laughed it off, feeling proud that I have accomplished what adults do. Then after high school, I indulged a bit while waiting to join college. I went on drinking through college and even got a job. I thought nothing of it. To me it was just drinking and having fun.
At what point did you get addicted? Being in showbiz, alcohol was always available during cocktails and the many parties. To cope with life’s challenges, I gradually turned to the bottle for comfort. With time, I became a whisky addict, though I was not even aware of it.
Why were you drinking so much? I attributed it to stress, but that was a flimsy excuse. I made every excuse to get high - from being tired to laziness and happiness. Everything gave me a reason to drink.
Were there no side effects? In 2007, I was admitted to hospital for intestinal problems. I was not eating well and the doctor warned me that if I did not stop, he would forcefully take me to rehab. After the doctor’s grace period, I went back to drinking and had to check myself into hospital several times. In 2009, I was involved in two road accidents while drunk.
Did the doctor take you to rehab?
No. I never went back to him. I warned the nurses not to reveal I had gone back to drinking.
How did the lose of your father last year affect your drinking?
It worsened. Drinking helped me block away my emotions. I was in a very bad place but I was not willing to talk about it.
What was your friends’ and family’s reaction to your addiction? My friends did not know what was going on. I pretended everything was okay. My mother kept warning and advising me to stop, but I would not listen. She even implored me to tell her the main reason why I was drinking, but I did not know what to say and as usual, I blamed it on stress. My father, on the other hand, was not aware because he had been unwell for a while and we did not want to stress him.
How about your love life? I don’t want to talk much about that, but the truth is it was also part of the ‘collateral damage.’
How much did you spend in a week? I am not sure but it varied. At the end of each month, I would drink the most expensive whisky because I had enough money. During mid month, I bought cheap whisky for Sh380. My friends and I deluded ourselves that we could brainstorm on proposals and client presentations much better while drunk.
At what point did you decide enough was enough? That was on January 8 this year. I was walking from the shops with a bottle of whisky when an inner voice asked me what exactly I was doing. When I got home, I did not open the bottle, but kept it on the table and stared at it. That night, when I was going to bed, I took the bottle to the kitchen and placed it in a cabinet. All this time, the voice kept asking me what I was doing. To date, I have never opened that bottle and it is now a reminder of my past struggles.
Did you suffer from any withdrawal symptoms?
The first days were very bad. I experienced the worst withdrawal symptoms which included sweating, nausea, tremor and anxiety. At some point, I wondered whether it was worth it.
What have you been doing since you stopped drinking? I went back to school. I also became more productive at work and channelled all my energy in writing stories that I hope will inspire others.
Are you doing anything to help alcoholics? I am still strategising on how I can mentor my peers without imposing myself to them. From experience, I have realised that the way you package information to an alcoholic is very important. Perhaps if it was done differently, I would have quit a long time ago.