"I didn't know how it was going to end": Woman, 35, finally confronts problem after trying to maintain 'party girl' status

Charlotte Southall knew she needed to confront her relationship with alcohol when she found herself pouring a glass of vodka one morning.

She had told herself she was not addicted because she did not drink on a daily basis, and used occasions such as parties, Christmas and New Year as reasons not to give up completely. But as she tipped the spirit into her glass that morning, ready to take a swig, she realised things had gone too far.

“Every time I drank it was like playing Russian roulette," said Charlotte, from Lytham, in Lancashire. "I didn’t know how or when it was going to end.

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"Though I knew I needed to stop, I always managed to convince myself that I wasn’t an alcoholic because I didn’t drink every day, so therefore I couldn’t have a problem. However, I remember one morning I found myself pouring a glass of vodka before it had even hit mid-day and I knew then things needed to change.”

The 35-year-old used alcohol as a confidence booster and said it always made her feel good about herself. She was also scared of losing her 'party girl' status, fearing people wouldn't see her as the same 'fun' person, Lancs Live reports.

But despite outward appearances, Charlotte was miserable. She explained: "Whenever I would drink, it almost always ended in negative consequences that had an impact on my relationships, and soon it began to affect all aspects of my life - it was making me mentally and physically unwell. I spent so much time burying myself beneath alcohol that I lost view of who I really was and I really didn’t like myself anymore.”

In the end, she knew something needed to change so sought help from Delamere. The residential retreat aims to