A young mother has said she has “always” had an issue with alcohol and wonders if she is the only one struggling with the problem.

In an email to Lunchtime Live, she said she has caused “so much hurt” to her family and would like to get help but is unsure how.

“I’m a Mum of three in my mid-40s and I’m married to a wonderful man but I’ve always had an issue with alcohol," she wrote.

“It just seems to have gotten worse as I’ve gotten older.

“The thing is, if I have a drink in the evening, I continue it on the next day where other people wouldn’t even contemplate that.

“I would just like to know, is there anyone else like me out there in a similar situation?

“What help is there apart from AA? I’m too embarrassed to see my GP.”

'Very many people in the same situation'

Psychiatrist Professor Brendan Kelly said the email had clearly taken a lot of “courage” to send and praised her for doing so.

“It [was] the right thing to do,” he said.

“Your listener asks, ‘Is there anybody like me?’

“The answer is yes, there are very many people in the same situation as your listener; the research tells us that almost one woman in five binge drinks - that is to say drinks too much on occasion and, like your listener, maybe wants to continue the next morning.”

A couple of pints of beer in the sunlight on a pub table. 07/2022. Image: Alamy.com

To begin with, Prof Kelly suggested confiding in a friend or relative and asking for their thoughts.

“Talk to somebody,” he said.

“In the first instance, it doesn’t really matter who that person is; it might be a family member, it might be a friend, it might be a GP.

“Or indeed, the HSE has a national helpline for confidential support which is 1800 459 459.”

Prof Kelly also said talking to another young mother might be “helpful” given their shared experiences.

“Even if that person does not have a problem with alcohol, very often they’ll understand better,” he said.

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Main image: A woman buying a bottle of wine. Picture by: Alamy.com