Dublin Model Alison Canavan’s battle with Alcohol

Alison Canavan has revealed she has been struggling with alcohol in an emotional article. The model mum began her international career aged just 15, and over her career shared catwalks with the likes of Naomi Campbell.

Now aged 38 Alison has spoken for the first time about being alcoholic. The Dublin beauty recalled life as a functioning alcoholic and explained how she managed to come back from the brink.

She said: “I needed drink to chat to people; for confidence; to have a personality; to be creative; to have friends; to be accepted; and my job revolved around it. “I would use it to take the edge off, to cope with a tough day. “I would drink alcohol to reward myself after I had worked hard, or worked out, or just because it was Friday, or Monday, or lunchtime, or after work. “When a reason didn’t present itself, I would make it up.”

The 38-year-old revealed how she was in denial about her alcohol addiction for years. She said: “I tried to stop drinking many times and succeeded for days, weeks, and even months at a time. I sat in AA meetings for years listening to other people’s stories but I was still in denial: ‘I’m not as bad as them’ I would think.

“I could stop for months at a time and not drink during the week, but I had to ask myself, was I controlling my drinking or was my drinking controlling me?”

Reflecting on her addiction, she stated: “It rips you apart at your soul level. It’s a vicious cycle that lures you in with false promises of fun, and spits you out with nothing. “No self-esteem, broken relationships, arguments, memory loss, lost belongings, wasted days, anxiety and depression.”

Yesterday marked Alison’s 18th month of sobriety. She describes her six-year-old son James as “her angel” and “a catalyst that started her true inward journey of healing”. She added: “When I became a mum, I thought I had figured things out. I only had the odd glass of wine during my pregnancy. Then I breastfed with no drink, but it crept back slowly.