Holly Dyson's last alcoholic drink was a can of cider to manage withdrawal symptoms, consumed in her father's car on the way to rehab on 2 May 2023. She had barely eaten in two weeks, spending her final days at home in north-west England vomiting blood and twitching in bed. At 26, her body was shutting down.
Doctor's dire warning
About a week earlier, a doctor told Dyson she had six months to live. Her liver was "deranged," feeling like "a bowling ball" that required two hands to lift her body. Her face was swollen, unrecognizable from her former sporty self. "I just couldn't do this any more," she says.
Childhood and early trauma
Dyson's childhood in Tarleton, Lancashire, was blissful until her parents divorced when she was 12. "I absolutely did not see it coming," she says. Research links alcohol dependency to early childhood trauma like divorce, which disrupts emotional development. Dyson attributes the separation to developing "an intense fear" of abandonment.
First drink and university
She had her first alcoholic drink at 16—fruity cider in the park—but didn't get drunk until university in Leeds in 2015. Drugs never appealed to her as much as alcohol. At university, she fell for an abusive partner who called her derogatory names and grabbed her wrists. When she discovered he cheated with two close friends, she dropped out.
The turning point
In 2017, Dyson poured herself a gin and tonic before work as a personal trainer. That drink "lit up my brain." She moved in with her mum, secretly drinking gin and refilling bottles with water. She hid evidence in her bedroom and car. "Your every thought is: 'Where's my next drink coming from? Can we afford the next drink?'"
Health decline and hospital visits
By 2020, Dyson had severe liver pain and went to A&E, where a scan showed severe liver disease. She switched from gin to cider, drinking first thing to stop withdrawal symptoms: shaking, vomiting, irritability. She would pour wine into a Lucozade bottle and sip it at work. By 8pm, she was very drunk, lining up bottles by the bed to drink "like water" through the night.
Financial ruin
Her habit cost £300-400 a month, barely lasting the week. She borrowed money from parents and took out loans, accumulating £10,000 in debt. "When five grand drops in your bank account, you go absolutely wild," she says. Now she has a debt management plan, unable to get a mortgage or credit card for six years.
Rehab and recovery
Her father drove her to Ocean Recovery in Blackpool, taking out a loan for private rehab. "If he hadn't got me into rehab when he did, I wouldn't be here," Dyson says. She stayed 28 days, the youngest by 20 years. "I had loads of people looking out for me." She did walks, group therapy, meditation, yoga, and painting.
Life after rehab
Now a support worker at Change Grow Live, Dyson stays sober by talking openly about addiction. She ran the London Landmarks half marathon in April and is training for a full marathon. "No physical pain will ever compare to the emotional pain I went through during addiction." A recent liver scan showed no scarring or fatty liver; her liver function is normal.
Changing culture
Dyson disapproves of heavy drinking culture in the UK, noting alcohol marketing in supermarkets with "buy two crates for a tenner" signs. She believes alcohol should be hidden like cigarettes. "People forget that alcohol is a drug." She shares the "raw, unfiltered truth of addiction" to help others. "Admitting you're struggling is the bravest and most important thing you can do to save yourself."
