Recovery Month: Inspiring Sheffield women share their experience with alcohol addiction

For more than 20 years, 55-year-old Alison Thornhill coped with her busy working life through an addiction to alcohol.

Driven by shame at her spending on drink, she began shoplifting alcohol to supplement the amounts she was spending to feed her addiction.

Alison said: “During the last few years of my addiction, I can say I wasn’t sober at all.”

Eventually, Alison was caught and faced prosecution.

However, getting caught ended up changing her life for the better.

Alison said: “The amazing thing that happened was that the security guard who caught me gave me the contact details for Project 6.”

Project 6 is a harm reduction and recovery-focused service in Sheffield, helping the lives of those with alcohol and drug addictions.

She continued: “When my recovery started, I thought that I was the only one who had these problems and that nobody else suffered from addiction.”

After four years of volunteering, Alison is now employed at Project 6, helping others turn their lives around.

53-year-old Jo Powell also managed to turn her life around following a lifetime of alcohol addiction, due to the help of Project 6.

15 years of binge drinking cost her two failed marriages and her job as a trained nurse, along with a serious brain injury caused by attempts at self-withdrawal.

Jo said: “My addiction started when my first husband left me. I’d always been a social drinker, but this wasn’t just about that episode, because during my childhood, I was also sexually abused.”

“The times I’ve tried to stop drinking have been too numerous to mention. I thought I’d never ever stop.”

The next 15 years became a constant cycle of alcohol addiction for Jo. In 2014, she had a brain haemorrhage through seizures from trying to withdraw from alcohol.

As a result, for a time she struggled to speak, pick up a spoon or walk properly.

She said: “I was in a wheelchair and I pushed and pushed myself to get better, but even this still didn’t stop me from drinking.”

A hospital mentor came to speak to Jo about Project 6, and she finally made an appointment to begin her recovery process.

Jo continued: “I’m now four years clean and never in a million years did I think I’d be here.

“Life is good, and I feel like I’ve found myself.”

Their inspiring stories are just two of the many that will be shared with other recovering addicts in September for Sheffield’s ‘Recovery Month’.

Tracey Ford, a member of the Sheffield Recovery Forum, said: “National Recovery Month aims to raise awareness that Recovery from Addiction is possible.

"More importantly, it shows that there is support available. It’s a chance to shine the spotlight on Sheffield’s Recovery Forum and Recovery Community.”

During the month, support groups and activities will take place seven days a week in Sheffield, whether that is face-to-face or online. The events are free and everybody is welcome.

A number of activities and events are taking place during the month, however, the main two events take place at the beginning and at the end of September.

To see the full timetable, and any more information, visit the Sheffield DACT website here.