"To any veteran or woman who feels isolated, hopeless, or beyond help, I want to say this: the support is out there"

“I never knew where this would all end up. I didn’t set out to become an addict, or to lose everything I cared about. But addiction doesn’t arrive with a warning; it creeps in quietly, weaving itself into your daily life until one day, you can’t remember who you were without it.”

Laura joined the Royal Air Force at 17, serving seven years as a telecommunications operator, moving frequently across the UK. She wore her uniform with pride but inside felt restless and unmoored. The military instilled discipline and resilience, yet the culture also normalised heavy drinking. For Laura, alcohol soon became more than social — it was a way to silence the persistent unrest in her mind.

After leaving the forces, Laura sought success in high-pressure civilian jobs in London. Outwardly thriving, she struggled internally — chasing peace and belonging she couldn’t find. Her ADHD diagnosis partly explained her restlessness, but instead of healthy coping, she self-medicated. Alcohol filled every gap: stress, loneliness, boredom, even celebration.

Gradually, that reliance turned into a prison. During the COVID years before recovery, Laura’s world contracted into isolation. She was drinking herself to death, losing careers, dignity, dreams, and family trust. She had thought she’d hit rock bottom before, but soon realized rock bottom had a basement — and she was living there.

At her lowest, Laura was sofa surfing, barely existing, desperate to belong but not even belonging to herself. A friend from service gave her shelter in Grimsby, and support from the RAF Association helped her secure a small flat. Yet addiction’s grip meant four walls didn’t make a home.

Everything shifted when Laura connected with WithYou, and her recovery worker Leonie, who believed in her when she couldn’t believe in herself. For a year and a half, Leonie stood by her through relentless ups and downs. Laura attended every appointment, group, and suggestion, desperate to stop but still struggling.

Rehab was offered as a lifeline — a chance she seized immediately. Starting with a two-week residential detox, Laura then entered The Forward Trust’s rehabilitation facility, The Bridges. Walking through those doors was both the scariest and bravest thing she’d ever done.

This time, recovery wasn’t just about stopping drinking. It was about unraveling the trauma and patterns that had kept her trapped. The Bridges provided structured programs, trauma-informed care, and peer support that helped Laura rebuild from the inside out.

She learned to be present, to face her past without shame, and to make peace with it. Spirituality became a foundation, and she discovered she didn’t have to face recovery alone.

Now, more than a year into her sobriety, Laura continues to receive support through Tom Harrison House’s women veterans program, which has been vital to her ongoing healing. She volunteers with multiple recovery organisations, driven to transform her pain into purpose. Her family relationships are mending. She likes who she is becoming.

“I was once the woman who walked into treatment believing my life was over. Now, I am the woman who grabs every opportunity to live. Recovery didn’t just save my life; it gave me a new one. And to any veteran or woman who feels isolated, hopeless, or beyond help, I want to say this: the support is out there. You are not alone. If I can find my way back, so can you.”