"A Second Chance at Life"
The pandemic led many to drink more—38% drank on more days than usual, and 15% drank alone when they usually wouldn’t.
For Kathleen from Newport, lockdown started with Zoom cocktail parties but quickly spiraled out of control. What began as enjoying fine wine with dinner escalated into a dangerous dependence that left her hospitalised and unable to walk.
Now, four months free from alcohol, Kathleen looks back on a harrowing year and the journey that saved her life.
“I’ve had two lucky escapes. After being hospitalised for my alcohol use, I caught coronavirus on the ward. It’s been a hellish year, but I’m focusing on all the great things I have.
I’ll live to see my two nieces graduate now. A few months ago, I wasn’t sure I would.”
“Lockdown Boredom Turned Into a Nightmare.”
Kathleen’s drinking escalated quickly under lockdown conditions. At her lowest point, she was consuming four bottles of wine and a litre of vodka in just two days.
“When lockdown began, I hosted a few Zoom cocktail parties with friends. Next thing I knew, I was drinking wine with lunch—not just dinner.
Eventually, I’d do an online shop and realise I’d bought nothing but alcohol. I was prioritising alcohol over food, all while convincing myself I had everything under control.
Looking back, it’s astonishing to me.
It was June when things really got out of hand.”
Isolation made it easier to hide the extent of her drinking. She pushed people away, withdrawing into herself.
But one determined friend refused to let her suffer in silence.
“Accepting Help Saved My Life.”
“Ben came over to my flat two weeks before Christmas. He’s not a confrontational person, but he refused to leave until I went in an ambulance.
By then, I was very sick. My skin was grey. I’d been vomiting for ten days straight—but I kept drinking.
Next thing I knew, I couldn’t even walk.
I have long-term nerve damage and now use a stick to get around.”
Kathleen was transferred to the gastro unit at The Grange University Hospital, where she met a liver specialist who changed everything.
“He calmly asked if there was anything I wanted to tell him. I knew what he needed me to say.
To his credit, that interaction prompted me to admit out loud that I am an alcoholic. It was so powerful to finally say it to myself.
From there, I was able to get the help and support I needed.”
“The Road to Recovery.”
Kathleen called in to BBC Radio 4’s Call You and Yours in response to the question:
“What’s changed in your life in the last year that you’d like to keep?”
Her answer? Her sobriety.
“I’ll miss booze, but I know I can never go back now.
I’d tell anyone struggling with alcohol use to focus on the great things in their life.
Be honest with yourself and open with others—things can get better.
It’s been a tough year for all of us. I know there are so many people out there struggling, people who might be fearful to reach out due to stigma.”
Kathleen is now receiving continued support from GDAS and is doing an incredible job maintaining her recovery.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with alcohol use, know that help is available—whatever your circumstances.
You’re not alone.
