Mum of three who nearly died of alcoholism volunteers at Renfrewshire rehab clinic that saved her

A mum who nearly died of alcoholism last year is rebuilding her life by volunteering at the same Scottish rehabilitation clinic where she was treated.

Emma Harrison, from Paisley, was admitted to hospital three times at the start of 2023 after her drinking spiralled out of control.

At her lowest point, the mother-of-three had developed alcohol-related neuropathy which left her barely able to walk, and was suffering from hypothermia.

“I was killing myself with alcohol, drinking myself to death. I was drinking in the house on my own, and my children had been removed from my care,” the 43-year-old recalled.

“I got to the stage where I didn’t know if it was 10am in the morning or 10pm at night. I was admitted to hospital with hypothermia and my family thought I was going to die.

“One day Gordon, the admissions manager at Abbeycare, and the nurse from my local addiction service came to my hospital bed and asked if I wanted to come in.”

Ms Harrison was admitted to Abbeycare, a residential drug and alcohol addiction recovery clinic in Erskine, Renfrewshire.

Ms Harrison was “severely” underweight and had lost a lot of hair when she started rehab but said she had a “willingness to change”.

“I had one-to-one therapy and group therapy, and started learning all about addiction, as well as the triggers to look out for and things from my past that I didn’t know still affected me.”

Ms Harrison is now more than a year sober and has also rebuilt her relationship with her three children since completing her 12 week stay at the clinic.

The stay inspired her to help others and she now volunteers 14 hours a week at the facility helping others who are struggling with alcohol addiction.

She joined the clinic’s peer support programme and was assigned as a contact for people who were about to leave the facility, which eventually lead to her volunteering position where she is learning from other staff and completing training courses.

One of Ms Harrison’s responsibilities is to do check in calls, where staff contact clients who have recently left the clinic to make sure they are not overwhelmed by returning to normal life.

She has also taken a first aid course and has undergone suicide prevention training.

“It’s been a beautiful journey,” she says. “I learn so much from the staff in here and from the new clients who are coming in.

“Helping others is all part of our recovery, that’s how we stay sober. I think the clients can relate to us, because it’s not that long ago that we were in their position ourselves. It gives them hope straight away, because they see that recovery is possible.

“Abbeycare saved my life. If I hadn’t come in here, I wouldn’t be here today. I would’ve gone out, lifted a drink again, and I wouldn’t have survived it. It’s given me a life to live and I feel like I’ve found my calling.”

Eddie Clarke, outreach manager at the Abbeycare Group, said he hoped Ms Harrison’s “remarkable” journey inspired those struggling with alcohol addiction.

“She has been on a remarkable journey that began in her hospital bed when she was offered the chance to begin her recovery with us, and we are so glad that she said yes.”

“She is now a valued member of Abbeycare staff, who uses her own experiences to put people at ease when they first arrive at the clinic and support them when they move on.

“We hope that Emma will be the first in a long line of former patients who go on to achieve great things after taking part in our volunteering programme.”