“Women need and deserve safe spaces”

As a single mum with neurodiverse children, Amanda found little time or space for herself. Her opportunities to socialise were limited, and drinking became a way to relax at the end of the day.

Looking back, she remembers how her world began to shrink. “I was getting home as they got back from school,” Amanda explained, “and we were leaving the house less and less. I was only seeing my children, my pet and my mother. I was stuck in a rut.”

Over time, Amanda felt more and more isolated, and during the Covid pandemic her alcohol use increased. What started as a way to unwind became a way to cope.

Amanda realised she was dependent on alcohol. “There wasn’t a lightbulb moment,” she recalled, ”but there was a slow realisation that I had a problem and should get a handle on it.”

Cranstoun has helped Amanda improve her relationship with alcohol, while the WiSE Project has helped her to feel less alone. She described WiSE as a safe space to connect with other women and speak openly about her life. “My key work is specifically about reducing my drinking,” she explained, “whereas in the WiSE group you can talk about nearly anything.”

“WiSE is a place I know I’ll always be welcome,” she continued. “There’s no pressure. You can just sit with a cup of tea, quiet as a church mouse, and build up confidence over time. What have you got to lose?”

Since attending WiSE, Amanda has begun rebuilding her relationship with her children. Reflecting on the impact of alcohol on family life, she recalled, “When I was drinking, I was physically in the same room, but the more I drank, the less actual interaction there was. I’m trying to make time with them now, and to encourage them.”

“It has good and bad moments. They’re becoming teenagers, too!”