Salesman credits employer for helping him beat alcohol addiction

A car salesman who nearly died from alcohol addiction has been talking about how he transformed his life with the help of his employer NK Motors.

Suki Bains, 48, from Littleover, said he would use alcohol to get through every day, while outwardly maintaining a career in car sales and hiding the true extent of his drinking.

He admits that at his lowest point, he was drinking “dangerous amounts” of alcohol.

His marriage, finances, friendships and family relationships were all suffering – and his attempts to get sober would always end in relapse.

Suki said: “I was drinking dangerous amounts every day. I knew I was putting my life at risk. I honestly didn’t know how long I could carry on like that.”

He credits NK Motors, and particularly managing director Sanj Kumar, for refusing to give up on him.

Suki said the dealership, which has a site at Pride Park in Derby, gave him a reason to get up in the morning and a sense of purpose.

Now more than a year sober, he has gone from fearing he could lose his job to becoming one of the dealership’s top-performing salespeople and has recently been promoted to team leader.

Suki said: “If it wasn’t for Sanj, I’d have lost my job. And if I’d lost my job, I genuinely think I would have just carried on drinking until I died.

“Having that job gave me something to get up for and a purpose. I was terrified that if I was honest about how bad things had become, I would lose everything.

“But Sanj didn’t give up on me. He kept communicating with me, meeting me and supporting me. I will never forget that.”

Suki’s relationship with alcohol began when he was young and struggling with his confidence.

Overweight at school and finding it difficult to make friends, he discovered alcohol made him feel more confident, sociable and able to connect with people.

But what began as social drinking gradually became a way of escaping problems rather than confronting them.

Suki said: “I thought I was a superhero, that I could fix it myself. I would tell myself I would only drink on certain days or that I would stop for a few months. I’d make promises to myself and then break them.”

As his addiction worsened, Suki became increasingly adept at hiding just how bad things had become.

He said there were times when he could drink extraordinary amounts and still function.

When his employer learned how serious things had become, the company chose to support him.

Sanj said: “There were difficult times, but we never wanted to give up on Suki.

“We knew what he was capable of and could see there was a good person and a talented salesman underneath everything he was going through.

“To see where he is today makes us incredibly proud. He has worked enormously hard to turn his life around and he hasn’t just returned to work, he has become one of our top-performing salespeople.”

Faith became an important part of his recovery, and he joined the Sikh Recovery Network, which supports people and families affected by addiction.

His story will feature in a book being produced to mark the 10th anniversary of the network and he is due to attend an event at the Houses of Parliament in October.

He is also increasingly speaking publicly about his addiction and recovery in the hope that his experience might encourage someone else to ask for help.

And his progress at NK Motors has also given him another ambition – to train an apprentice salesperson and pass on the knowledge he has gained throughout his career.

Suki said: “I want to show people that life is so much better without alcohol.

“I’m doing things on my own now that I never thought I could do. I’m going to festivals, doing events and taking on challenges.

“I want people to see that you don’t need a drink in your hand to have a good time.”