I can still remember the first Friday afternoon I was taken to the pub after work. I was in my early 20s, proud to be included, desperate to be taken seriously — and the way to fit in, I quickly learned, was to keep up. From then on, alcohol became part of my identity as a successful woman. Work hard, play hard. Seal the deal, order the drinks. Drink to celebrate, drink to cope, drink to connect, drink to escape. Whether it was boozy awards nights, late-night team bonding, or a bottle of wine gifted to thank a colleague — alcohol wasn’t just part of the job. It was the job. Looking back now, I realise just how embedded alcohol was in the DNA of my professional life. The message was subtle, but constant: if you could handle your drink, you could handle your career. If you couldn’t, you weren’t part of the “groovy gang.”

But Behind the Scenes - behind the confident front, the successful sales career, the always-showing-up exterior — I was slowly crumbling. I didn’t collapse (until nearer the end of my career), I didn’t get into trouble, I didn’t miss work. But I drank too much, too often, and too privately. One glass never was just one. And the loneliness I felt when I wasn’t drinking was so overwhelming, I came to believe that a bottle of wine was the only thing that truly understood me. In 2016, I started a journal titled

Am I an Alcoholic? The first entry read: 'The reason for this journal is to record my concerns about my relationship with alcohol.'

It took me another six years before I found the courage to do anything about it.

The turning point came in February 2022, when I poured my last glass of wine (which was actually an awful bottle of wine but I was drinking it because ... I could!!), and signed up for a 28-day alcohol-free programme run by The Happy Pear and Andy Ramage. I just wanted a break. A reset. What I didn’t expect was the transformation. Fast-forward to now, and I’m over 3.5 years alcohol-free. The change wasn’t just physical at first, though I did sleep better, eat better, and run a half marathon. It was emotional. Cognitive. Professional. I became calmer, more present, more focused. I made better decisions, both at home and in business. My relationships blossomed. And most importantly, I rebuilt a version of myself that didn’t rely on alcohol to feel confident, capable, or connected.

So many high-performing professionals are functioning. That’s what makes this so difficult to spot. You’re not on the floor, you’re on stage, hosting events, smiling at conferences. You hide behind a well-tailored outfit, a big personality, and a couple of “harmless” glasses of wine each night. But slowly, over time, you lose touch with yourself. You stop listening to what your body and mind are telling you. And you tell yourself it’s just how things are, youou tell yourself everyone’s doing it.Then one day, if you’re lucky, you wake up and say: “Enough.”

Alcohol misuse costs the UK £27.4bn every year, including £4.9bn to the NHS. But the greatest cost might be personal, our wellbeing, our connection to family, our ability to lead from a place of clarity and presence. This isn’t just about rock bottom — it’s about the middle ground. The wine-o’clock zone. The quiet struggle that doesn’t get talked about. That being said, there is a shift occurring. We’re now seeing a remarkable shift in how people approach alcohol. According to data from KAM Insights, 29% of UK adults now identify as either fully alcohol-free or trying to moderate, and the no- and low-alcohol beer market in the UK grew by 23% last year alone, reaching a market size of £221mn. Sobriety is no longer a sign of weakness or problem. It’s a conscious, empowered lifestyle decision, and increasingly, a smart one.

This October, Theresa is teaming up with Nina Dowdeswell to launch a four-week guided programme called Step into Alcohol FREEdom. As a trained counsellor – Nina will take you in your present state and look at how you have got there and why alcohol plays such a big part in your life. Then Theresa, as a qualified coach, will take you in the present and look at the life you want to lead and what needs to happen. It’s designed for people who are quietly asking the same questions I once did: Is this really working for me? Is this who I want to be?

It’s not about judgement or labels. It’s about creating space to reset, reflect, and reimagine your relationship with alcohol. With structured support and real-life experience, we help people make sustainable changes — with compassion, honesty, and strength.

Because there is life — and leadership — on the other side of alcohol, and it might just be the most powerful step you ever take.

To find out more contact Theresa through her website at www.wevegotthis.uk