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Middle-Class Mom's Secret Battle with Alcohol
15 Mar
Summary
- Drank two bottles of wine nightly, then on bus to work.
- Hid empty bottles to conceal her addiction from family.
- Admitted problem after husband threatened to leave her.
A woman from Orpington, Kent, recounted her hidden struggle with alcoholism, detailing how she drank two bottles of wine nightly. Her addiction escalated after becoming redundant in 2009 and starting a part-time job with child-friendly hours.
She began drinking on her bus commute to work, hiding empty bottles to conceal her secret from her husband and two young sons. This continued for two years before her husband's ultimatum prompted an admission.
Her past included early drinking in Scotland for a sense of belonging and parents with unhealthy relationships with alcohol. She also noted a pattern of alcohol use in her early relationship with her husband.
Rock bottom arrived in 2017 when, drunk, she took a large dose of painkillers. This led to hospitalization and a subsequent 28-day residential program at Priory Hospital Hayes Grove, costing approximately £20,000, covered by insurance.
Today, she works at the Priory as a medical secretary, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. She reflects on the stigma of alcoholism and emphasizes that addiction can affect any family.
