“Now, I wake up and relax”

Steph’s weekend trip to the pub with her dad gradually became a daily habit. The weekend led to Monday, which led to Tuesday, then Wednesday. Before long, Steph visited the pub every day – and on the way home, she stopped at the shop, buying cans to drink once she got back.

From a pint and a half at the weekend, Steph’s alcohol use had slowly increased to between six and eight drinks a day. “I had been buying two or three bottles of whiskey a week,” she shared, “and drinking until I blacked out.” As her alcohol intake increased, so did feelings of anxiety, isolation and loneliness. Looking back, she recalled, “I spent the first three or four hours of every morning anxious, restless, pacing in my flat and unable to relax. I started drinking earlier and earlier to take the edge off the anxiety.”

Soon, Steph started to recognise that she wasn’t looking after herself. Speaking about how this made her feel, she reflected, “You’re drinking every day and not doing anything. You’re not interacting with the world.”

Steph had heard of Cranstoun a couple of years earlier when she was smoking cannabis. Now, motivated to quit drinking, she visited the Cranstoun website to complete a questionnaire about her alcohol use. Steph learned she was at risk and would benefit from changing her lifestyle. She sent her details and, within a couple of days, a letter arrived offering her support.

Then, Steph heard about her local WiSE group.

Before finding WiSE, Steph had struggled to find support in her local area, describing it as “hard to find places to go and things to do”. But WiSE felt different. The team running the project were “warm, welcoming, open and attentive”, and hearing staff talk openly about their own recovery journeys reassured Steph that she was among women with similar experiences to hers.

The WiSE Project tailors information in a way that responds to women’s needs. A session might start with relaxing tai chi, before welcoming a guest speaker to talk about domestic abuse, or the local hospital’s alcohol service. Steph reflected on the benefits of hearing information at WiSE, explaining, “Even when I’ve already learned about alcohol and what it can do, it’s helpful to go over it again in a safe space.”

At first, she preferred to listen rather than speak, but hearing others share their stories helped Steph realise she wasn’t alone. This was a safe space, free from judgement, where she could take things at her own pace and know she would be understood when she was ready to speak. Being around women who had faced similar challenges helped Steph relax and, in time, find her voice.

Before finding WiSE, Steph had spent around four years feeling disconnected from the world around her. Looking back, she was struggling with loneliness and feeling trapped.

WiSE helped Steph reflect on her relationship with alcohol in a new way. In her first three months of sessions, she chose to stop drinking, smoking and vaping, as well as eating healthily and making a conscious effort to look after herself. During relapse prevention sessions, Steph realised that her difficulties stretched back further than she had thought, helping her better understand why alcohol had such an impact on her life.

Today, Steph feels more positive about both her health and herself. Reflecting on the changes she has made, she explained, “My meals are planned out, so I know what I am having for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know I am looking after myself.” Although she is proud to have lost 10 pounds, she says the biggest difference is knowing she is making healthier choices. “I am happier because I know I am healthy and doing well.”

Steph also feels that quitting alcohol has improved her mental health, lowering her anxiety levels and reducing the side effects of medication for bipolar disorder. She shared, “Now I can wake up, have a cup of tea and relax. During recovery, when the addict in me says, ‘This is boring, you’re boring, there’s nothing to do,’ I can look at how I am feeling and think, ‘No, I’m just relaxed’.”

WiSE has not only given Steph new connections and confidence, but also reassured her family she is getting support. One of Steph’s biggest supporters is her Dad. “He’s really happy for me and encourages me to go,” she smiles. “He says, ‘See Steph, there are things out there that can help you’.”