Emma’s story: Compassionate care can help break the cycle of stigma
- NHS Addictions Provider Alliance
- Jan 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 31
People can experience stigma in different ways. Emma shared her story with us.
“I was a very sociable person and that involved drinking. I struggled a lot through my late teenage years with anxiety and in the beginning, alcohol helped with that anxiety. I just felt more relaxed. I did my own counselling and I went to CBT to keep on top of my anxiety which helped on and off through the years.
I had a bad break up in my early 30s and I became depressed. The GP told me it was depression and I started some tablets, but nothing worked for my anxiety other than alcohol. During this whole time, I held down jobs, I held down friendships. A few friends here and there said “you’re going out a lot”, “you can drink quite a bit”.
In about 2018, I realised I was becoming reliant on alcohol to feel normal really. I did go to the GP but not about the alcohol, I went for my anxiety and depression. Nothing was really done - I was just put on mild anti-depressant tablets and told it would help. It never actually did.
During Covid, I was living alone in London, there was no one around me to keep an eye on what I was drinking. I moved home to Wales and completed my masters during Covid. It never occurred to me that what I was doing was a problem, because I didn’t fit any of the stereotypes of someone with an alcohol addiction.
I ended up in hospital with a severe nosebleed where they took my blood. They told me I had signs of a damaged liver and I needed to cut down my drinking. I did take it on board but the severity of the situation wasn’t drummed into me. I didn’t know how to stop and I didn’t know who to ask for help. I didn’t want any of the stigma to be attached to being an alcoholic.
I ended up back in hospital and was told I had end-stage liver disease. The only way I could survive was by having a liver transplant. I was told by the NHS that I needed 6 months sobriety behind me before I could be considered for a transplant. I reached the 6 months and I was very lucky that there was a transplant match for me.
I definitely did experience stigma but I don’t think it was ever intentional. There were times in the hospital where you were just looked at as a bay number. You overhear consultants talking to nurses about “bed 7” or the “girl with the drink problem”. There was no thought to what support you needed.
The outreach team from Inclusion were the first people to talk to me as a person. Caroline told me she understood where I was and she had been there and told me I would get through it. Having someone that was open about their own experience helped me get through it, seeing they’d got through it too. I wasn’t just a person on the ward anymore.”
To others who may be facing similar challenges, Emma offers encouragement to seek help and connect with supportive services. Organisations like Recovery Hampshire provide safe and understanding environments to help people take meaningful steps.
Emma’s story is a testament to resilience and the power of compassionate support. Recovery is not just about addressing the condition; it’s about seeing the person.
At the NHS APA, we know that the stigma associated with co-occurring mental health and addiction is a barrier to treatment.
Did you know? We have created a training guide to support people working in healthcare to access useful resources and training focused on reducing stigma around co-occurring conditions.
Find out more about the actions you can take here:
Start the conversation. Break the stigma.