Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing.
A woman who has been sober for nine years has told people about a common way people who suffer from alcoholism try to hide it from people.
TikToking actor Issy Hawkins has made plenty of videos about her battle with alcoholism and some of the ways it can affect your life.
In one of her most popular videos she described a 'commonplace habit with alcoholics and addicts' which many of her followers said was spot on.
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"I don't know if anyone else can relate to this, but I was talking to somebody on the other app and we were discussing how if you opened our wardrobe doors and if you looked at the back of the wardrobe there'd just be loads of empty cans or bottles that we'd forgotten we'd stashed there," she explained to her followers.
She said it made her think of a time when her mum had been cleaning her room and found a 'massive bin bag of empties', and wondered whether others had hidden bottles and cans in their own wardrobes.
A lot of the people in the comments could relate to what Issy was saying, as they wrote: "I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME HIDING BOTTLES IN THE WARDROBE."
They commented that Issy's video 'makes me feel so seen and gives me hope for recovery', and another said she was 'the only sober creator I've ever related to'.
That person commented that they'd felt a 'gut wrenching' fear when they were away from home and thought about where they'd stashed their cans and bottles.
Another said they'd stashed their bottles into jacket pockets in their wardrobe, as well as in shoeboxes and backpacks.
The comments were full of people saying they'd done exactly what Issy was describing and had stashed drinks around their home where people wouldn't see them.
"There's some sort of weird, almost ritual that comes with all of it," Issy continued.
"With hiding bottles and hiding empties and being secretive that I don't miss at all because you're just weaving this web of lies and nonsense.
"You can't remember what you've done and you can't remember where you've put things, and you're just constantly living in dread that someone's gonna open a door and a load of beer cans are gonna come flying out on top of their head and you're then gonna have to explain why that is."
The NHS has a number of signs they say to look out for which may indicate that someone is an alcoholic, and a woman who was many years sober came up with a quiz for people and being secretive about it was one of the aspects to look at.
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
Topics: Alcohol, Health, Mental Health, NHS
Joe Harker