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<\/p>\nA woman has shared how she used to drink five bottles of wine a day at the height of her alcohol addiction.<\/p>\n
Katie Hurley of New Orleans, Louisiana, started experimenting with alcohol from a young age. However, after being hospitalised three times and relapsing twice, she is now living a life of sobriety.<\/p>\n
"Alcohol does not discriminate, and it will not stop until it has taken everything from you and those you care about," said Katie. "But recovery is possible, and there is hope on the other side."<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Alcoholic 'looks better in 40s than 20s' after ditching 3 bottles of wine a day habit<\/b><\/p>\n
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"I've had a rocky relationship with alcohol since I was 16. One drink was never enough for me. In my early 20s, I was your typical college student, partying hard, blacking out, and downing drinks like there was no tomorrow. Instead of maturing out of it like some of my friends, I just kept diving deeper into the drinking scene."<\/p>\n
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After a breakup, Katie, now 36, relocated to Europe at the age of 25, and her drinking became even more out of hand as friends dubbed her 'Wild Katie'. By age 26, she was compelled to confront how serious her drinking had become.<\/p>\n
"On Christmas Eve 2013, I contacted my parents and informed them that I had a drinking problem," she admitted. "I told them how I couldn't go a day without alcohol. They were extremely supportive. They flew me home and checked me into my first rehab clinic."<\/p>\n
While her time in recovery was positive, she relapsed a few months later, and things began to spiral again. "I started drinking significantly more than I had previously," she confessed. "Worse, this time around, I was doing it in secret. I was hiding wine bottles around the house and drinking at work."<\/p>\n
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As time went on, Katie found it increasingly challenging to hide her addiction from her family, and its toll on her health became more pronounced. She said: "I started to feel very ill. I was vomiting, bloated, and had stomach pain, which turned out to be an inflamed liver."<\/p>\n
She ultimately resigned from her job, fearing her coworkers were getting suspicious of her drinking habits at work. Things worsened when there was no need to limit drinking during the day. "I was drinking five bottles of wine daily," she said. "I drank like this for about two months, getting sicker and sicker."<\/p>\n
Katie had a wake-up call in 2018 when she was hospitalised three times in a row. Doctors offered a stern warning: If she continued to drink excessively, she may not live to see her next birthday.<\/p>\n
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She said: "My dad caught me chugging a bottle of wine in the yard. The confrontation sent me over the edge. I was so angry I went on a 36-hour bender that ended with me in the hospital emergency room. I was placed on a psych hold and helped to detox from alcohol for a few days – it's essential to seek medical treatment when trying to quit heavy drinking as the withdrawals can be life-threatening. This was the most defeated and embarrassed I had ever felt, but it was also the most hopeful I was that I could get sober for real this time."<\/p>\n
Katie was finally able to quit drinking after a 30-day treatment programme and is now five years sober. She has been sharing her journey to sobriety on TikTok, where she has racked up an impressive 35,000 likes from fans. <\/p>\n
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By sharing her story on TikTok, she hopes to remove the stigma associated with addiction and drinking. She said: "Everyone drinks alcohol. It makes things more fun, is widely available and encouraged in most cultures\/ Drinking alcohol is something we all grow up seeing in films and social interactions. It appears to be normal. This is the most difficult aspect of quitting."<\/p>\n
Despite the difficulties that come with her sobriety, Katie is overjoyed with her new life.<\/p>\n
"The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages," she said. "I have energy, I don't have a hangover, and I am confident and calm. I can manage my emotions and make sound decisions. I'm able to keep connections and friendships. I am in a happy, loving relationship.<\/p>\n
"I now enjoy the small things and find joy in my daily life. It may appear difficult now, but your life will be so much better after that."<\/p>\n